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SKETCHES 



0» THK 



CIVIL AND MILITARY SERVICES 



OF 



WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 



BY 



COL. CHARLES S. TODD, 

OV KENTUCKT, LATE MINISTER} TO BUSSIA, 



AKD 



BENJAMIN DRAKE, 

AUTHOR OF THE LIFE OF BLACK HAWK, ETC., KTC. 



HEVISED xmD EXLAHGED BT 

JAMES H. PERKI 




CINCINNATI : 
J. A. & U. P. JAMES, WALNUT STREET, 

BST^VEEN FOURTH A:»D FIFTa 
1847. 



// 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by 

J. A. & U. P. JAMES, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Ohio. 



JAMES & CO., Stereotypers, Cincinnati. 
J. A. & U. P. JAMES' Steam Press. 



A7 



PREFACE. 

.> / 

[from the trefack to the first edition.] 

* * * « * « * 

In the preparation of this work the authors have 
been much aided by Colonel M'Aflee's excellent His- 
tory of the Late War— by Mr. Dawson's Historical 
Narrative, which embraces many valuable and au- 
thentic documents — and by Ju(%e Hall's elegant 
Memoir of the Public Services of General Harrison. 
Several other historical and biographical narratives 
have been consulted ; and, in addition to these sources 
of information, the authors have had the benefit of 
original letters and documents not heretofore em- 
braced in any similar publication. They have also 
been favored with the personal recollections of seve- 
ral officers of the late war, who participated with 
honor in the north-western campaigns. Finally, 
they themselves happen to have a personal know- 
ledge of many of the scenes and incidents which 
they have undertaken to describe. 

LFnder these circumstances, whatever may be 
thought of the literature of the work, they venture 
to claim for it, at least, the merit of authenticity in 
every substantial particular. Running, as it does, 
through a period of nearly fifty years, in the history 
of the West, it will be found to embrace a variety of 
matter valuable to the general reader, independently 
of its immediate relation to the distinguished citizen 
whose remarkable public career has been briefly 
portrayed in its pages. C. S. T. 

B. D. 

Cincinnati, March, 1840. 



INTRODUCTION TO THE REVISED EDITION. 



I 



Two Chapters have been added to this work, 
as it originally stood. In those an account is 
given of the political campaign of 1840; of 
the inauguration of General Harrison, and of 
his brief administration of one month. A few 
alterations have been made in the work ; mostly 
such as were called for by the death of the sub- 
ject of the Biography, since the original edition 
was prepared ; some slight errors, which had 
escaped the authors, have been corrected, and 
the Volume is now submitted to the Public as 
containing, in a cheap form, a condensed, and, 
it is believed, correct account of one of the 
best men yet born in America. 

J. H. P. 



< 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Hia birth. — Parentage, — Education. — Entrance into the army. 

— Services under St. Clair and Wayne — Butllt of the Mau- 

mee. — In conamand of Fort Washington (now Cincinnati.) — 

Hia marriage. — Resignation of liis commission in tlie ar- 

iV nay _ Page 11 

CHAPTER n. 

Retires to a farm. — Appointed Secretary of the North-weat- 
em Territory. — Elected a delegate in Congress. — Procures a 
Law sub-dividing the Public Lands. — Division of the North- 
western Territory. — Military Land Warrants. — PoUtical sen- 
timents. — Charge of Federalism. 19 

CHAPTER III. 

Harrison appointed Governor of Indiana Tcnitory. — Commis- 
sioner to treat with the Indian Tribes. — His Message to the 
Legislative Council. — Addresses of tlxe Council to him. — Cor- 
respondence with President Jefferson and the War Depart- 
ment. — Indian Treaties. — Reappointed Governor by Jelfer- 
Bon, and again by Madison.— Recommends the building of 
a fleet on lake Erie. 23 

CHAPTER IV. 

Interview between Governor Harrison and Tecumthc Battle 

of Tippecanoe. — Various documents concerning the same 

vii 



Viii CONTENTS. 

from individuals — the legislatures of Indiana and Kentucky ; 
from President Madison, and the historians M'Afee, Dawson 
and Hall. - - 30 

CHAPTER V. 

Governor Harrison visits Kentucky. — Appointed Major-general 
in the militia of that state. — Brigadier in the United States 
army. — Commander-in-chief of the North-western army.— 
Relieves Fort Wayne. — Leads an expedition against the Wa- 
bash Indians. — Appoints Winchester to the command of the 
left wing of the army. — Refutation of the charge that he had 
intrigued for Winchester's command. — Reconciles the troops 
to serve under Winchester. — Plan of campaign 40 

CHAPTER VI. 

Movements of the army. — Tupper's expedition to the Rapids. — 
Campbell's expedition to Mississiniway. — General Harrison 
recommends a fleet on lake Erie. — Plan of operations for the 
campaign. — Again urges on the Secretary at War the neces- 
sity of a fleet on lake Erie. — Winchester's movement to the 
Rapids. — His movement to the river Raisin, and defeat on 
the 22nd of January. — The question examined, on whom 
rests the blame of that defeat. — Opinion of Wood — M'Afee's 
opinions. — Address of the Kentucky and Ohio officers — 48 

CHAPTER VII. 

Movements of the North-western army, after the defeat at the 
river Raisin. — Establishment of Camp Meigs. — Kentucky and 
Ohio militia discharged. — Termination of the first campaign. 
— Preparations for the next. — Colonel Morrison's opinion.— 
Siege of Fort Meigs. — Arrival of Kentucky troops under 
General Clay. — Dudley's defeat. — Brilliant sorties, 5th May. 
— Proctor's demand of a surrender. — His abandonment of the 
riege. — Gallant conduct of General Harrison. 64 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Council with friendly Indians. — Rp;.ortod investment of Fort 
Meigs. — Second siege of Fort Meigs. — Attack on Fort Ste- 
phenson. — Croghan's letter. — Statement of the general, staflQ 
and field officers, about the attack on Fort Stephenson. — Ohio 
Militia at Grand Camp. — Preparations for crossing the lake. — 
Perry's victory. — Army reaches Maiden. — Proctor pursued. — 
Council at Sandwich. — Shelby, Cass, and Perry's letters. 81 



CHAPTER IX. 

Battle of the Thames. — Documents as to the same General 

Harrison sails for Buflalo. — Marches to Fort George. — Or- 
dered to his District. — Descends lake Ontario to Sackett'a 
Harbor. — Passes to Cincinnati, via. New York, Philadelphia, 
and Washington. — Interference with his command by Gen- 
eral Armstrong. — Perry's letter. — M'Arthur's letter. — John- 
son's letter. — Croghan's letter. — Harrison's letter of resigna- 
tion to the President — Governor Shelby's letter to the Pres- 
ident. 98 



CHAPTER X. 

Commissioner to treat with the Indians. — Elected to Congreas 
in 1816. — Investigation of his conduct in that body. — Effort 
in favor of the pension laws. — Speech in regard to Kosci- 
Uisko.— Speech on General Jackson's conduct in the Seminole 
war. — Favors the independence of the South American Re- 
publics. — A gold medal, and the thanks of Congress award- 
ed him.— Elected to the Legislature of Oliio.— Unfounded 
charge of having voted to sell white men imprisoned for 
debt. — Elected to the Senate of the United States. — Refutes 
Randolph's charge of federalism. — Minister to Colombia. — 
Letter to Bolivar. — Recalled by General Jackson, 114 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Colonel Johnson's speech in Congress. — General Harrison's 
Cheviot address. — His address in 1832. in regard to Slavery. 
— Vincennes speech about Abolition. — His speech at the 
47th anniversary celebration of the settlement ot Ohio. — His- 
torical discourse on the aborigines of the Ohio. 130 



CHAPTER XH. 

General Harrison's first nomination for the presidency. — His 
letter to Sherrod Williams. — His opinions upon Duelling.— 
His letter to Harmer Denny, on the principles upon which 
the government should be administered, — Second nomination 
for the presidency, December, 1 S39. 142 



CHAPTER Xni. 

Harrisburg convention Canvass of 1 840. — Great mass meet- 
ings at Fort Meigs, Tippecanoe, Bunker Hill, «fcc. — Election 
of General Harrison 159 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Inauguration of Gen. Harrison. — His address. — His conduct 
after taking office. — His sickness and death. — Disposal of his 
remains. — Grant by the nation to his family 175 



CHAPTER XV. 

General Harrison's civil and military qualifications considered. 
— Parallel between him and Washington. — His integrity and 
disinterestedness, illustrated by several anecdotes. — His social 
and Uterary character. — His enjoyment of a green old age in 
body and mind 219 



SKETCHES OF 
GENERAL HARRISON. 



CHAPTER I. 

His birth. — Parentarire- — Education. — Entrance into the army. 
— Services under SSt. Clair and Wayne. — Battle of the Mau- 
mee. — In command of Fort Washin^on (now Cincinnati) — 
Hia marriage. — Resignation of his commission in the army. 

William Henry Harrison was born on the 9th day 
of February, 1773, at Berkley, on James River, in the 
county of Charles City, in the state of Virginia. He 
was descended lineally from the general Harrison, who 
was a distincruished actor in the civil wars of England, 
and a prominent officer in the armies of the common- 
wealth. 

Benjamin Harrison, the father of the subject of this 
memoir, early distinguished himself in opposition to the 
high-handed measures of the British ministry; — and 
played an important part in the Colonial Legislature of 
Virginia. As early as the 14th November, 1764, he was 
one of the committee to prepare a remonstrance against 
the odious stamp act, at that time contemplated by the 
British cabinet, and from this period he was associated 
with Lee, Henry, Nicholas and others, in energetic 
efforts which were directed towards a vindication of the 
rights of the people against the encroachments of the crown. 
He w^as a member in the Continental Congress during 
1774-5-6. 

In the congress of 1775 the office of speaker was vaca- 
ted by Peyton Randolph, and in the choice of a succes- 
sor, congress was divided between Benjamin Harrison 
and John Hancock. In this early period of the struggle 
for liberty, Mr. Harrison being a delegate from the "Old 
Dominion," in the south, gave an illustrious evidence of 
his patriotism by yielding his pretensions in favor of the 



12 SKETCHES OF 

great patriot from the Bay State of the north : and Mr. 
Hancock, hesitating for a moment to take the chair, Mr. 
Harrison, with practical good humor, " seized the modest 
candidate in his athletic arms, and placed him in the 
presidential chair ;" then turning to the members, he ex- 
claimed, "We will show mother Britain how little 

WE CARE FOR HER, BY MAKING A MASSACHUSETTS MAN 
OUR PRESIDENT, WHOM SHE HAS EXCLUDED FROM PARDON 
BY A PUBLIC PROCLAMATION." 

Mr. Harrison was a member of the committee of that 
year, whose report formed the basis of our present militia 
system. He was associated with the immortal Wash- 
ington, in a committee which arranged a plan for the fu- 
ture support of the army. He was chairman of the com- 
mittee whose agency brought to our standard the gallant 
La Fayette, and was afterwards appointed a member of 
the Board of War. On the 10th of June, 1776, he called 
up the resolutions by which the colonies were declared 
INDEPENDENT, and which authorized a Declaration of 
Independence to be prepared ; and took part in the va- 
rious discussions which preceded the final adoption of 
Jefferson's celebrated paper. A curious anecdote is on 
record, which furnishes a graphic description of the tem- 
per and intrepidity of the patriots of that day. Elbridge 
Gerry, a delegate from Massachusetts, as slender as Mr. 
Harrison was portly, stood beside Harrison whilst sign- 
ing the Declaration. Harrison turned round to him with 
a smile as he raised his hand from the paper and said, 
*' when the hanging scene comes to be exhibited, I shall 
have all the advantage over you. It will be over with 
me in a minute, but you will be kicking in the air half 
an hour after I am gone." 

Mr. Harrison continued in congress until 1777, when 
he retired, and having been elected to the House of Del- 
egates of Virginia, was chosen speaker, the duties of 
which he performed until 1782, when, on the resignation 
of general Nelson, he was elected governor of Virginia, 
and was re-elected as long as the constitution would per- 
mit. He died whilst a member of the legislature, in 
1791.* 

* See Sanderson's "Lives of the Signers of the Declaration 
of Independence." 



GENERAL HARRISON. 13 

William Henry Harrison was educated at Harnpden 
Sydney coUeire, in Prince Edward County, Va., and 
then repaired to IMiiladelpliia to pursue the study of med- 
icine under the instruction of thtMlistinsjuislu-d Dr. Bvn- 
jamin Hush, and under the i>uardianship ot" Robert Morris, 
the great financier of the revolution, both of whom were 
signers of the Declaration of Independence. The youth 
who had laid the foundations at college for a taste in the 
literature and history of the ancient classics, was thus 
afforded an opportunity of drinking deep at these foun- 
tains, of the genius and spirit of the revolution. He had 
derived from liis j)atriotic father, the lessons of republi- 
can liberty, and in the school of Rush, of Morris, and of 
Wajshingtcm, he imbibed a love of country, which led 
him to encounter difliculty and danger in her defence. 
About this period the disasters of the north-western army 
under the accomplished Harmar, excited a deep sympa- 
thy in the public mind, and the youthful Harrison, par- 
taking largely of the generous impulses of the day, re- 
solved to abandon the studies in which he was engaged 
and to participate in the perils as well as the sacrifices 
"which were incident to this ijreat border warfare. His 
guardian and his friends opposed his wish to enter upon 
this hazardous duty : but he applied in person to gene- 
ral Knox, secretary of war, and to the Immortal Wash- 
ington, who granted him a commission of ensign in the 
first regiment of United IStates' artillery, and in Novem- 
ber, 1791, when but nineteen years of age, he marched 
on foot to Pittsburgh, and by descending the Ohio, 
joined his regiment, then stationed at Fort Washington. 

It was shortly before the defeat of the veteran St. 
Clair, that Harrison formed the resolution to devote his 
energies to the military service of his country, at a period 
when his judgment and feelings must have been guided 
by a high sense of patriotism, and a disinterested love 
of fame. The theatre of the war was in the remote wil- 
derness, and the character of the enemy such, that laurels 
were to be won only by great suffering and exposure, in 
situations destitute of the comforts or even the necessa- 
ries of civilized life. A great national disaster had oc- 
curred in 1790, under the gallant Harmar, who, though 



14 SKETCHES OF 

seconded by the heroic conduct of colonel Hardin, was 
defeated in two partial actions, by the Indians, near the 
Maumee. Conofress authorized, at its next session, the 
raising of two thousand men, under the denomination of 
levies, and general St. Clair, governor of the north-west- 
ern territory, was appointed commander-in-chief. 

On the 4th of November, 1791, he was met and like- 
wise defeated, with great loss, by a formidable body of 
Indians, on the head waters of Wabash river. 

The defeat of St. Clair, though congress subsequently 
acquitted him of all blame, produced a deep impression 
on the public mind, and, connected with the previous dis- 
asters of the war, rendered the service unpopular, drained 
the public treasury, and brought the country into a crisis 
which developed the energies of Washington's great in- 
tellect. The war had assumed a national importance, 
inducing the president to select for the chief of the army 
a soldier of prudence, of experience and of energy. For 
some time Washington was in doubt whom to appoint. 
Wayne, Henry Lee, and various others were named : at 
length the former was chosen, although the appointment 
excited much dissatisfaction in Virginia. Wayne was 
well known to the President; and his conduct of the In- 
dian war fully justified the choice which Washington had 
made ; combining great determination with great caution 
he won for himself in his Western campaign the name 
of " Black Snake," with no less propriety than he had, 
during his earlier y^ears gained that of " mad Anthony." 

Ensign Harrison joined hisregimentat Fort Washing- 
ton just in time to witness the return of the fragments of 
that gallant band, which, marching out in the proud anti- 
cipations of victory, was destined to a sad reverse under 
the veteran St. Clair. Under these discouraging circum- 
stances, and with the near approach of winter, ensign 
Harrison commenced his public service in the command 
of an escort, having charge of a train of pack horses des- 
tined for Fort Hamilton. It was a duty involving peril 
and fatigue, by night and by day, and requiring the ex- 
ercise of sagacity and self-denial. His performance of 
the arduous task elicited the commendations of general 
St. Clair, and exhibited an interesting instance of a char- 
acter in which the ardor of youth was combined with the 



GENERAL HARRISON. 15 

maturity of a^e. In 1792 he was promoted to the rank 
of lieutenant, and in 1793 joined the legion under gew 
eral Wayne, and was not long afterwards selected by him 
as one of his aids-de-camp — illustrating, in an eminent 
degree, the confidence of tliat tried soldier, since lieuten- 
ant Harrison was only twenty-one years of age. He 
continued to act as aid to general Wayne during the whole 
of ihe ensuing campaign, receiving, as he merited, re- 
peated instances of high encomium from his commander. 
The first occurred upon the occasion of a detachment 
having been sent on the 23d of December, 1793, to take 
possession of the field of battle of the 4th of November, 
1791, and to fortify the position. To the new post was 
given the name of Fort Recovery. The following gene- 
ral order was issued on the return of the troops from 
that interesting duty ; 

"The commander-in-chief returns his most grateful 
thanks to major Henry Burbeck, and to every officer, 
non-commissioned officer, and private, belonging to the 
detachment under his command, for their soldiery and 
exemplary good conduct during their late arduous tour 
of duty, and the cheerfulness with which they surmount- 
ed every difficulty, at this inclement season, in repos- 
sessing general St. Clair's field of battle, and erecting 
thereon F»rt Recovery^ a work impregnable by savage 
force ; as also for piously and carefully collecting and 
interring the bones, and paying the last respect ana mil- 
itary honors to the remains of the heroes who fell on the 
4th of November, 1791, by three times three discharges 
from the same artillery that was lost on that fatal day, but 
now recovered by this detachment of the lejjion. 

"The commander-in-chief also requests major Mills, 
captains De Butts and Butler, lieuteiiarU, Harrison^ and 
Dr. 8cott, to accept his best thanks for their voluntary 
aid and services on this occasion." 

The other instance of commendation of the gal- 
lantry of lieutenant Harrison is to be found in the report 
made by general Wayne to the war department, in rela- 
tion to the celebrated battle of the Maumee, which we 
shall presently introduce to the notice of the reader. 

The youth, the early habits of study, and the delicate 



16 SKETCHES OF 

frame of Mr. Harrison, not less than the perils and pri- 
vations incident to the border warfare, would have intim* 
idated a spirit less heroic than his, in entering upon the 
arduous service in the north-west. As illustrative of the 
aspect of affairs, and of his first appearance in the army, 
an old soldier of St. Clair, who was present, has re- 
marked : — " I would as soon have thought of putting my 
wife in the service as this boy ; but I have been out with 
him, and I find those smooth cheeks are on a wise head^ 
and that slight frame is almost as tough as my own 
weather-beaten carcass." 

General Charles Scott, a veteran of the revolution, who 
enjoyed the special confidence of Washington, arrived in 
July from Kentucky with his command of mounted vol- 
unteers, and on the 8th of August, general Wayne took 
up a position at Grand Glaize, seventy miles in advance 
of Greenville. A strong work was erected at the junc- 
tion of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers, and general 
Wayne a^ain opened a communication with the Indians 
before striking the final blow. " I have thought pro- 
per," he said, " to offer the enemy a last overture of 
peace ; and as they have every thing that is dear and in- 
teresting at stake, I have reason to expect they will listen 
to the proposition mentioned in the enclosed copy of an 
address dispatched yesterday by a special flag, under 
circumstances that will insure his safe return, and which 
may eventually spare the effusion of much human blood." 
" But should war be their choice, that blood be upon their 
own heads. America shall no longer be insulted with 
impunity. To an all powerful and just God, I therefore 
commit myself and gallant army." 

The enemy rejected the offer of peace, and the cele- 
brated Little Turtle, who advised its adoption in a coun- 
cil on the night before the battle, spoke as follows : "We 
have beaten the enemy twice under separate command- 
ers. We cannot expect the same good fortune to attend 
us always. The Americans are now led by a chief who 
never sleeps : the night and the day are alike to him. 
And during all the time he has been marching upon our 
villages, notwithstanding the watchfulness of our young 
men, we have never been able to surprise him. Think 



GENERAL HARRISON. 17 

well of it. There is somethinp^ whispers me it would bo 
prudent to listen to his otrers of peace." 

We refer the reader to the oificial report of general 
Wayne of 27lh Antriist, 1791, for a persj)iciious account 
of llie celebratt^d battle of Mau/nec, and deem it sufiicient 
for our present purpose to give an extract relating to the 
conduct of his aid-de-camp, lieutenant Harrison. 

"The bravery and conduct of every officer belonging 
to the army, from the generals down to the ensigns, merit 
my highest aj)probation. There were, however, some 
whose rank and situation placed their conduct in a very 
conspicuous point of view, and which I observed with 
pleasure and the most lively gratitude: among whom I 
beg leave to mention lirigadier general Wilkinson, and 
colonel Hamtramck, the commandants of the right and 
left wings of the legion, wiiose brave example inspired 
the troops ; and to these I must add the names of my 
faithful and gallant aiils-de-camp, captains De Butts and 
T. Lewis, and lieutenant Harrison, who, with the adju- 
tant general, major Mills, rendered ike most essential service 
by coin muni cat in i!; my orders in every direction, and by their 
conduct and bravery excitin<^ the troops to pr ass for victory .''* 

The praise of which lieutenant, now general, Harrison 
was the subject in the dispatch from the illustrious 
Wayne, was of a character to soothe him for the trials 
and the perils he had encountered, and to stimulate him 
to increased diligence in the discharge of the high and 
responsible duties confided to him when placed after- 
wards in the command of Fort W ashinjiton. This com- 
mendation received additional weiaht from the remarks 
made in the presence of a venerable gentleman, now liv- 
ing, by general Wilkinson and colonel Shaumburg, who 
said that " Harrison was in the foremost front of the 
hottest battle — his person was exposed from the com- 
mencement to the close of the action. Wherever duty 
called, he hastened, regardless of danger, and by his ef- 
forts and example contributed as much to secure the for- 
tune of the day, as any other officer subordinate to the 
commander-in-chief.'" 

The victory at Mamnee was achieved by the discipline 
of Wayne's army, and the introduction by that sagacious 
2 



18 SKETCHES OF 

leader, of a new feature in military tactics, as applied 
to Indiem warfare, which was the result of a plan di- 
gested by Washington, Knox, and Wayne. The north- 
western savage chooses his own time and his own posi- 
tion, and he retreats from it at his own pleasure. To be 
overcome, he must be outflanked or kept on the wing, as 
he was by Wayne, by a constant charge of the bayonet. 
To provide against the contingency of the enemy assail- 
ing his flanks, Wayne had adopted the plan of forming 
his troops at open order, so as to extend his flanks and 
move with celerity in the woods. These principles were 
acted upon in the subsequent war conducted by general 
Harrison, and may be now reg.vded as the approved 
mode of fiophtinjj the north-western Indians. 

A permanent peace with the Indians was the fruit 
of this great victory. The negociations commenced in 
January and terminated in August, 1795. Soon after 
the close of this campaign, captain Harrison was en- 
trusted by Wayne with the command of Fort Wash- 
ington, where he was directed to advise the general of 
all movements connected with the invasion of Louisiana, 
then projected, and to prevent the forwarding of any 
military stores by the French agents. As a further evi- 
dence of the confidence of Wayne, he specially entrusted 
captnia Harrison with his commands and intentions as to 
the supply of the troops intended to occupy the posts 
theretofore held by the British on the northern frontier. 
Whilst in the command of Fort Washintrton, (now Cin- 
cinnati,) captain Harrison married the daughter of John 
Cleves Symnnes, the founder of the Miami settlements. 
An anecdote is given in relation to the marriage, illus- 
trative of the independent character of captain Harrison. 
On the proposal to Mr. Symmes for his consent, Harri« 
son was asked what were his resources for maintaining 
a wife] Placing his hand upon his sword, he replied, 
*' this, sir, is my means of support." The chivalry and 
undaunted confidence of the younff soldier at once obtain- 
ed the approbation of Mr. Symmes. Captain Harrison 
continued in the command of Fort Washington until 
1797, when, upon the death of general W^ayne, ho re- 
signed, his conrinnission in the army. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 19 



CHAPTER II. 

Retires to a Farm — Appointed Secretary of the North-west- 
ern Territory. — Elected a delegate in Congress — Procures a 
Law sub-tUviding the Public Lands. — Division of the North- 
western Territory. — Military Land Warrants. — Political sen- 
timents. — Charge of Federalism. 

The war being ended, captain Harrison, like the Father 
of his country, retired to the peaceful pursuits of agri- 
culture; and on his farm, near Cincinnati, soon acquired 
that taste for the cultivation of the soil, which through a 
long life, prompted him when not engaged in the 
public service, to return to the plough. Having turned 
his sword into the pruning hook, he identified himself 
with the people in whose defence he had been drawn to 
the banks of the Ohio. He was not suffered, however, 
long to enjoy the repose of his log-cabin. Early in 
1798, Wintiirop Sargent, secretary of the north-western 
territory, having been appointed governor of the south- 
western territory, president Adams selected Mr. Harrison 
to fill the office thus vacated. The appointment made 
him ex'officio lieutenant governor, and in the absence of 
governor St. Clair from the territory, he discharged the 
executive duties in a manner that won the approbation 
of the people. In the month of October, 171)9, when, 
under the ordinance of 1787, the territory was admitted 
to the second grade of government, tlie legislative coun- 
cil elected him a delegate to conijress. 

In January, 1800, Mr. Harrison took his seat in that 
body, then in session in Philade]])bia. His first effort 
was to effect a chancre in the mode of sellinj; the public 
lands, which had hitherto been offered in large tracts — a 
system well suited to the rich speculator, but adverse to 
the interest of the poor man, however industrious or en- 
terprising. The subject was one of vital interest not 
only to the territory, but the whole country. The injus- 
tice of this aristocratic mode of selling the public do- 
main, had engaged the attention of Mr. Harrison, prior 



20 SKETCHES OF 

to his election ; and having maturely considered the sub- 
ject he lost no time in callino-the attention of congress toil. 

From a circular of Mr. Harrison, to the people of the 
territory, under date of Philadelphia, 14th May, 1800, 
we make the following quotation, showing the result of 
his efforts on tiiis important subject; 

" Amongst the variety of objects which engaged my 
aitentiun, as peculiarly interesting to our territory, none 
appeared to me of so much importance as the adoption 
of a system for the sale of the public lands, which would 
give more favorable terms to that class of purchasers 
who are likely to become actual settlers, than was offered 
by the existinu laws upon that subject; conformably to 
this idea, I procured the passage of a resolution at an 
early period for the appointment of a committee to take 
the matter into consideration. And shortly after I re- 
ported a bill containing terms for the purchaser, as favora- 
ble as could have been expected. This bill was adopted 
by the house of representatives without any material 
alteration ; but, in the senate amendments were introduc- 
ed, obliging the purchaser to pay interest on that part of 
the money for which a credit was given from the date of 
the purchase, and directing that one-half the land (in- 
stead of the whole, as was provided by the bill from the 
house of representatives,) should be sold in half sections 
of three hundred and twenty acres, and the other half in 
whole sections of six hundred and forty acres. All my 
exertions, aided by some of the ablest members of the 
lower house, at a conference for that purpose, were not 
sufficient to induce the senate to recede from their amend- 
ments ; but, upon the whole, there is cause of congratu- 
lation to my fellow-citizens that terms, as favorable as 
the bill still contains, have been procured. This law 
promises to be the foundation of a great increase of pop- 
ulation and wealth to our country ; for although the min- 
imum price of the land is still fixed at two dollars per 
acre, the time for making payments has been so extended 
as to put it in the power of every industrious man to 
comply with them, it being only necessary to pay one- 
fourth part of the money in hand, and the balance at the 
end of two, three and four years ; besides this, the odious 



GENERAL HARRISON'. ft 

circamstance of forfeiture, which was made the penalty 
of failirijj in the payments under the old law, is entirely 
abolished, and the purchaser is allowed one year after 
the last payment is due to collect the money; if the 
land is not then paid for, it is sold, and, after the pub- 
lic have been reinibursed, the balance of the money is 
returned to the purchaser. Four land-offices are direct- 
ed to be opened — one at Cincinnati, one at Chiiicothe, 
one at Marietta, and one at Steubenville, for the sale 
of the lands in the neig-hborhood of those places. In a 
communication of this kind, it is impossible to detail all 
the provisions of the law. 1 have, however, sent a copy 
of it to the printers at Cincinnati, with a request that 
they would publish it several weeks." 

In contemplating the present condition of the states 
and territories norih-west of the Ohio, too much praise 
cannot be awarded to the author of this law. Had the 
system of selling the public lands, in large tracts, been 
continued, it is certain, that the population and wealth 
of this immense recnon would not have been half what 
they now are. The poor but sturdy and independent 
farmers, whose axe has felled the forest, and whose 
plough has upturned the soil, would h?ve been precluded 
from becoming freeholders within this immense region, 
which, by the sweat of their brows, is now made to '• bud 
and blossom as the rose." Mr Harrison's land bill met 
with violent opposition in congress, especially in the 
senate. But being himself thoroughly conversant with 
the evils of the existing law, and tlie manifest justice of 
the proposed one having secured its author the support 
of some able and efficient members, it was finally passed, 
although shorn of a part of its salutary provisions. In 
the subsequent legislation of congress, regulating the 
sales of the public lands, all the features, it is believed, 
of the original report and bill upon this subject, have 
been incorporated : and in tracing this most beneficent 
mode of disposing of the public d<^main, it would be an 
act of injustice to withhold from Mr. Harrison the proud 
appellation of being the father of the land system, 
and the poor man's friend. 

Dnrins: the same session of congress, Mr. Harrison 



22 SKETCHES OF 

obtained an extension of the time of payment, for the 
pre-emptioners in the northern part of the Miami pur- 
chase, which enabled them to secure their farms. In 
this matter there was some collision of interest between 
the settlers and the original proprietor, John Cleves 
Symmes, the father-in-law of Mr. Harrison. He was 
consequently placed in a delicate and responsible situa- 
tion. But his conduct was marked by that integrity of 
purpose, which has ever been one of the striking charac- 
teristics of his life. He zealously sustained the rights 
of the meritorious purchasers. At the same session, he 
also effected an important change in the plan of locating 
military land warrants; and among other acts of a local 
character, procured the passage of a law, in conformity 
with numerous petitions from different parts of the dis- 
trict he represented, providing for the division of the 
north-western territory into two separate governments — 
the western being called the "Indiana Territory," the 
eastern the " Territory of the United States North-west 
of the Ohio." 

After the adjournment of congress, Mr. Harrison pro- 
ceeded to Virginia, on a visit to his family and friends, from 
whom he had now been separated more than seven years. 

Prior to his entering into civil ofHce, Mr. Harrison had 
identified himself with the great republican party of the 
country, and was the consistent advocate of popular 
rights. It has been charged upon him, that he was a 
federalist and a supporter of the "alien and sedition 
law," in the time of the elder Adams. This unfounded 
allegation, has probably arisen from the fact of his be- 
ing appointed to office by president Adams. It is well 
known, however, that Mr. Harrison warmly opposed his 
election to the presidency ; but this consideration did not 
deter the president from the faithful discharge of his 
duty. He knew the high qualifications of Mr. Harrison 
for civic ofhce, and although a pofitical opponent, did not 
hesitate to call him into public life. At that period in 
the history of our country, it is well known, men were 
not, as at the present day, proscribed for opinion's sake. 
Washington and Adams, in their appointments to office, 
acted on the principle, afterwards beautifully announced 



GENERAL HARRISON. flV 

by Jeffersnn, in his inaiigrural address, — "is he honesil 
is he capable 1 is he faithful to the constitution ?" 

But this charge of federalism, has been forever put to 
rest, by the very highest authority. The honorable Ja- 
cob Burnet, than whom no one knew more intimately the 
political sentiments of Mr. Harrison, says, *' it has been 
asserted entirely at random, 'that he was a federalist 
of the old black cockade order, in the time of the elder Ad- 
ams.' A more unfounded falsehood was never invented. 
My personal acquaintance with him commenced in 1796, 
under the administration of Washington. The intimacy 
between us was great, and our intercourse was constant; 
and from that time till he left Cincinnati, I was in the 
habit of arguing and disputing with him on political sub- 
jects. I was "a federalist — honestly so, from principle, 
and adhered to the party till it dissolved, and its elements 
mingled with other parties formed on different principles. 
I can therefore speak on this point with absolute cer- 
tainty, and I affirm most solemnly, that under the admin- 
istration of Washington, and the administration of the 
elder Adams, William Henry Harrison was a firm, con- 
sistent, unyielding republican, of the Jefferson school. 
He advocated the election of Mr. Jefferson, and warmly 
maintained his claims against Mr. Adams."* 



CHAPTER HL 

Harrison appointed Governor of Indiana Territory. — Commw- 
sioner to treat with the Indian Tribes. — His Message to the 
Legislative CounciL — Addressesof the Council to him. — Co». 
respondence with President Jefiferson and the War Depart- 
ment. — Indian Treaties. — Re-appointed Governor by Jeffer- 
son, and again by Madison. — Recommends the building of 
a fleet on lake Erie. 

It has been seen that the north-western territory was 
divided by congress, in the spring of 1800. Soon after 

* Public speech in Cincinnati. 



24 SKETCHES OF 

the passage of that law, president Adams appointed Mr. 
Harrison governor of the western division, known as the 
Indiana territory, which then embraced the region of 
country now inchided within the boundaries of the states 
of Indiana and Illinois, and the territory of Wisconsin. 
In 1803, upon the admission of Ohio into the union, the re- 
gion of country which now forms the state of Michigan 
was added to the Indiana territory ; and during the subse- 
quent year, governor Harrison was made, ex-officio, gover- 
nor of upper Louisiana. 

The population of the Indiana territory, at the period 
when Mr. Harrison was appointed governor, did not ex- 
ceed five thousand, and was principally confined to three 
settlements, — the first on Clark's grant, near the falls of 
the Ohio; the second at Vincennes ; the third on the 
Mississippi river, extending from Cahokia to Kaskaskia. 
The wide regions to the north and north-west of these 
three points, were either occupied by the Indians, or 
constituted their hunting grounds. Notwithstanding the 
treaty of Greenville, a spirit of restless hostility towards 
the United States, prevailed among the Indian tribes, 
which was constantly fomented by British agents, who 
visited their villages, and did not hesitate to misrepresent 
the policy of the American government; and, by pres- 
ents of merchandize and spirituous liquors, to stimulate 
the Indians to annoy the white settlements, and resist 
their further extension to the north-west. Such were the 
limits of the Indiana territory, and such the temper of 
the aborigines residintf within it, when governor Harri- 
son entered upon his duties. 

The powers conferred upon the governor of Indiana 
were extensive and multifarious. The people had no 
voice in the management of their affairs. The duty of or- 
ganizing all the civil institutions belonged to the gover- 
nor. With the advice of the judges, he was empowered 
by congress to adopt and puhlish the necessary civil and 
criminal laws. He was charged with the appointment 
of magistrates and other civil officers, and of the militia 
officers, below the rank of general. The duty of divid- 
ing the territory into counties and townships was also 
assigned to the executive, and being, ex-nfficiG, superin- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 25 

tendont of Indian afTi^irs, he was compr^lled to keep up a 
laborious and extensive correspondence with the general 
govertjment. Another power, equally responsible, and 
of a more delicate character, was confided to provernor 
Harrison — that of decidinjr upon tho validity of certain 
equitable grrants of land, held by individuals. There 
was no check or linnitation upon these confirtnations. 
Each case was submitted, without notice, directly to the 
governor, and his decision and sig'nature, vested a title as 
safe and unalterable as a patent from the United Slates. 
A still further and most extraordinary power, was added 
to those already enumerated. On the 3d of February, 
1803, the president sent a message to the senate of the 
United States, in the following words : 

" I nominate William Henry Harrison, of Indiana, to 
be a commissioner to enter into any treaty or treaties which 
may be necessary, icith any Indian tribes north-west of the 
Ohio, and within the territory of the United States, on 
the subject of boundary or lands. 

" Thomas Jefferson." 

The message containing this nomination, was read on 
the 4th, and on the 8th received the unanimous sanction 
of the senate. This appointment, without a parallel in 
the history of our country, exhibits in a striking manner, 
the unlimited confidence reposed in governor Harrison, 
by Mr. Jefferson and his counsellors, the senate of the 
United States. 

It is obvious that an able and faithful discharore of such 
varied and responsible duties, as were devolved upon the 
governor of Indiana, required a rare combination of mor- 
al and intellectual powers. That he should have been 
four times appointed to this office, -first by Adams, 
twice by Jefferson, and finally by Madison, — may be 
taken as conclusive evidence, that governor Harrison 
possessed the wisdom, discretion, ard inteurity, neces- 
sary for the performance of such high duties. But there 
are other evidences of the fact. In 1809, eight years 
after governor Harrison had first entered upon that sta- 
tion, the legislative council and house of represent", lives 
of the territory, addressed a resolution to the president 
and senate of the United States, in which they say ; 



26 SKETCHES OP 

" They cannot forbear from recommending to, and re- 
questing of the president and senate, most earnestly, in 
their names, and in the names of their constituents, the 
re-appointment of tlieir present governor, William Henry 
Harrison: — because they are sensible he possesses the 
good wishes and affection of a great majority of his fel- 
low-citizens ; because they believe him sincerely attach- 
ed to the union, the prosperity of the United States, and 
the administration of its government; because they be- 
lieve him, in a superior degree, capable of promoting 
the interest of our territory, from long experience, and 
laborious attention to our general concerns — from his 
influence over the Indians, and his wise and disinter- 
ested management of that department — and because they 
have confidence in his virtues, talents, and republican- 
ism." 

About the same time, a meeting of the officers of the 
militia for the county of Knox, was held in Vincennes, 
approving of governor Harrison's official conduct. 

In July, 1805, the citizens of St. Louis, when their 
connexion with the governor of Indiana was about to 
cease, made an address to him, in which they commend 
the "assiduity, attention and disinterested punctuality," 
which he had manifested in the temporary administration 
of the government of Louisiana. 

The conduct of governor Harrison, in administering 
the affairs of the Indiana territory, was repeatedly ap- 
proved by the legislative council and house of represen- 
tatives. In 1805, the former, in reply to the message of 
the governor, say : 

"The confidence which our fellow-citizens have uni- 
formly had in your administration, has been such that 
they have hitherto had no reason to be jealous of the un- 
limited power which you possess over our legislative 
proceedings. We, however, cannot help regretting that 
such powers have been lodged in the hands of any 
one, especially when it is recollected to what dangerous 
lengths the exercise of those powers may be extended." 

The house of representatives, in their reply, make the 
following remarks : 

" Accept, sir, the thanks of the house of representa- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 27 

tives for the speech you made to both houses of the leg-- 
islature on the opening of the present session. In it we 
discern the solicitude for the future hap|)iness and pros- 
perity of the territory, which has been uniformly evinced 
by your past administration.'" 

It is unnecessary to occupy more space in citing testi- 
' mony in favor of the conduct of governor Harrison, while 
presiding over the territory. In the administration of its 
afiairs, he laid the foundation of a popularity, which after 
the lapse of thirty years, overspreads the population of 
the slates of Indiana and Illinois, now amounting to more 
than a million of souls. The course of governor Harri- 
son won for him more than the respect and confidence of 
the people — it secured their warm and affectionate re- 
gard. The moderation, good sense and disinterested- 
ness, with which he exercised the almost unlimited pow- 
ers conferred upon him, could not fail to produce these 
results. His appointments were always made with a 
reference to the public good and the wishes of the peo- 
ple. Neither private friendship nor personal animosity 
was suffered to influence him, in the discharge of his 
official duty. 

In the management of the Indian affairs of the terri- 
tory, governor Harrison had unlimited authority to draw 
on the government for money. Perhaps no individual 
has ever disbursed so large an amount of the public trea- 
sure, as governor Harrison, and had so little difficulty in 
adjusting his accounts with the war department. This 
arose from the simple mode in which he kept his ac- 
counts. He refused to keep any amount of the puhlic 
money on hand. When called on to make payments, he 
drew for the amount, on the department, and forthwith 
transmitted a copy of the draft, and a receipt for the pay- 
ment, to Washington in the same letter. By this sim- 
ple mode, the department was saved the risk and expense 
pf sending mon^ to the west, and the subsequent settle- 
ment of long and complicated accounts. 

The messages of tjovernor Harrison to the legislature 
of the territory, during the twelve years of his adminis- 
tration, are replete with sound, practical and statesman- 
like view's ; but our limits do not admit of the introduo- 



< 



28 SKETCHES OF 

tion of these documents, so creditable to the head and 
heart of their author. 

Those who are familiar with the character of the north- 
western tribes, stimulated about this time by British 
agents, and roused to action by the cunninor of the Pro- 
phet and the genius of Tecumthe, will readily appreciate 
the difficulties to be encountered by governor Harrison, 
in preserving peace on the frontiers, and effecting those 
treaties of cession, which added an immense body of val- 
uable land to the public domain of his country. He had 
no military force under his command to awe the Indians 
or avenge their aggressions upon the settlements. It 
was the moral influence of his character, founded on the 
justice of his course towards them, which enabled him 
to bring about those great results which have given so 
much lustre to the civil administiation of governor Har- 
rison, in Indiana. It is a remarkable fact, that during 
this period, he effected not less than thirteen treaties with 
these tribes, by which the United States acquired the 
peaceable possession of sixty millions of acres of land. 
These treaties were all made by governor Harrison as 
sole commissioner, and it is creditable to the wisdom and 
moderation of their author, that the provisions of every 
one of them received the sanction of the president and 
senate of the United States. 

The reputation of governor Harrison as a civilian and 
statesman, may be safely rested upon his administration 
of the affairs of Indiana. His messages to the legisla- 
tive council and house of representatives, during a period 
of twelve years — his various communications to the In- 
dian tribes — his voluminous correspondence with the sec- 
retary at war, and with the president of the United States, 
are all eloquent and imperishable records of the extent 
and accuracy of his knowledge — the force and graceful- 
ness of his pen — the clearness and maturity of his judg- 
ment. The powers conferred upon him by the govern- 
ment of the United States, were varied and extraordi- 
nary — being legislative, executive, judicial and military, 
to which may be added that of making treaties with the 
Indians They were powers, greater than the constitu- 
tion confers upon the president of the United States, and 



GFNERAL HARRISON. 29 

required in the proper exercise of theni, a combination of 
rare and varied talents. Governor Haiiison so acquit- 
ted hinjself, in this responsible station, as to leave no 
stain upon his inteijrity, and no neceasity foreulony upon 
the wisdom of liis measures. 

Soon after Mr. Madisnn became president, he directed 
the secretary at war to procure from governor Harrison, 
his opitiion upon the best mode of protecting the north- 
western froniior from invasion. In a letter, under date 
of Vmcennes, 5th July, 1809, the jjovernor replies at 
length upon the subject, in which he defines the position 
and temper of the Indian tribes, and in a minute and 
lucid manner, examines the military topography of the 
country along the lakes, and the Mississippi river, and 
designates the points where forts should be erected and 
garrisons established. From this very able document, 
we take the following paragraph, for the purpose of 
showing at how early a period, the military eye of gov- 
ernor Harrison saw the necessity of the United States 
obtaining the naval ascendancy on lake Erie. 

" When I was at Detroit in 1803, the British had, and 
I believe still have, six or seven armed vessels, carrying 
from eight to twenty-two sfuns, on lake Erie. With a 
part of this force, and with the assistance of the Indians, 
Mackinac would be easily reduced ; as, from its insular 
situation, reinforcements or supplies cnuld not reach it, if 
the enemy should possess the superiority of naval force 
on the upper lakes; to prevent this, it will be necessary 
either to build a number of vessels equal to theirs, or, by 
fortifying the river of Detroit, confine them to lake Erie. 
A situation proper for this was the object of my enquiry : 
and Hog island, two miles above Detroit, was pointed 
Gilt as the most eligible; there is, also, another favorable 
situation for commanding the navigation, on the strait 
below lake St. Clair and lake Huron." 

It was not until the lapse of three years after the date 
of this letter, that the government acted upon the sug- 
gestion of governor Harrison in regard to a fleet upon 
lake Erie. Had it been attended to when made, it is 
obvious, that the coinmencement of the war with Great 
Britain would not have resulted in that profuse loss of 



30 SKETCHES OF 

blood and treasure, which marked the first campaigns on 
the north-western frontiers. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Interview between governor Harrison and Tecunithe. — Battle 
of Tippecanoe. — Various documents concerning the same 
from individuals — the Legislatures of Indiana and Kentucky ; 
from President Madison, and the historians M'Afee, Dawson, 
and Hall. 

Between the years 1806 and 1811, governor Harri- 
son's duties as superintendent of Indian alfairs, were de- 
licate and responsible. During this period, the British 
ajjents were powerfully aided in their efforts to excite 
the Indians to hostility afrainstthe United States, by two 
remarkable individuals, 'IVcumthe and his brotlier OUi- 
wachica, better known as the Prophet. The genius of 
the one, and the prophetical character of the other, drew 
around them a band of desperate followers, who finally 
established themselves at Tippecanoe. The treaty made 
at Fort Wayne in 1809, by ffovenor Harrison, gave of- 
fence to Tecumthe, it being in violation of the great 
principle of his confederacy, that the Indian lands were 
the common property of all the tribes, and could not be 
sold without the consent of all. In August, 1810, he 
invited Tecumthe to visit Vincennes, to have the difficul- 
ty adjusted. The chief, attended by four hundred war- 
riors, armed with war-clubs and tomahawks, presented 
themselves at the appointed time. It was at this coun- 
cil that Tecumthe declared the governor's statements 
false, and sprung to his arms, his example being follow- 
ed by forty of his warriors, who were present at the con- 
ference. The firmness of the governor, and the final ter- 
mination of this extraordinary interview, must be famil- 
iar to the reader. It was at the close of this council, 
when, upon govenor Harrison's telling him that he would 



GENERAL HARRISON. 31 

refer the question between them, to the president, that 
Tecumihe replied, " Well, as the g-reat chief is to deter- 
mine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will put sense 
enough into his head, to induce him to direct you to 
give up this land. It is true he is so far off, he will not 
be injured by the war: he may sit still in his town, and 
drink his wine, whilst you and I will have to fij^ht it 
out." The governor, in conclusion, told Tecumthe that 
he had one proposal to make, and that was, in the event 
of a war, to put a stop to that cruel and disgraceful mode 
of warfare which the Indians were accustomed to wage 
against women and children, and upon their prisoners. 
To this proposition, resulting from governor Harrison's 
benevolent forecast, he cheerfully assented, and it is due 
to the memory of Tecumthe to add, that he faithfully 
kept his promise. 

Tecumthe left Vincennes boldly avowing his determi- 
nation to persevere in his effort to combine the tribes, on 
the principle already alluded to ; and in the next year, 
he visited the southern Indians for this purpose, leaving 
the Prophet in charge of the party at Tippecanoe, but 
with instructions to avoid an open rupture with the Uni- 
ted States during his absence. In the summer of 1811, 
the danger to the frontier became so imminent that the 
president placed some troops under the command of go- 
vernor Harrison, to be used offensively, however, in such 
a contingency only, as in his judgment, he might deem 
indispensably necessary. Governor Harrison consulted 
with governors Howard and Edwards of Missouri and 
Illinois, who advised the breaking up of the Prophet's 
town, or at all events the prevention of the further assem- 
blage of Indians at that point. The governor's force 
consisted of regulars and militia, a small part of the lat- 
ter being from Kentucky, with whom came Daviess,* 
Croghan, O'Fallon, Shipp, Meade, Edwards, and Saun- 

• In a letter to the governor, Daviess said : **I make free to 
tell you that I have imagined there were two men in the west 
who had military talents, and you, sir, were the first of the two. 
It is thus an opportunity of service much valued by me. I go 
as a volunteer, leaving you, sir, to dispose of me as you choose." 



32 SKETCHES OF 

ders, gallant young volunteers, who not only distinguish- 
ed themselves in the action which ensued, but performed 
a brilliant part in the subsequent war with Great Britain. 
The governor was also joined by Owen and Wells, both 
celebrated in the early history of Kentucky. 

Passing over the intermediate details, the governor, on 
the evening of the 6th of November, with a force of nine 
hundred men, was within a mile and a half of the Pro- 
phet's town, where he halted the army, to make a final 
effort to prevent the necessity of an attack. This effort 
proved unavailinor. The army then marched towards the 
village. This led to a conference with the Indians, who 
announced their pacific intentions, and agreed that the 
terms of peace should be settled on the following day. 
A halt was ordered, and majors Waller Taylor and 
Marston Clark, and colonel William Piatt, were directed 
to examine and select a suitable spot for an encampment. 
The two former reported that they had found a place, 
combining all that could be desired, on the bank of a 
small stream, nearly surrounded by an open prairie, on 
the north of the town. On this spot, late in the evening 
of the 6th, the army was encamped. The details of the 
severe and brilliant action which took place on the fol- 
lowing morning, are familiar to the reading public. W^e 
have not space to give them. The Indians made a fierce 
and gallant attack, but were as gallantly met, and finally 
compelled to retreat. 

The officers and soldiers acted with great bravery, and 
were specially noticed in the official letter of the com- 
mander-in-chief. The number of men killed, including 
those who died of their wounds, was upwards of fifty ; 
the wounded were more than double that number. The 
loss of the Indians, in killed, was about the same with 
that of the whites. They left thirty-eight dead on the 
field of battle. Some were buried in the town, and oth- 
ers, it is supposed, died of their wounds subsequently. 
The force of governor Harrison on the day of action, 
amounted to about nine hundred. The traders estimated 
the Indian force at from eight hundred to one thousand 
men. Captain W^ells, the Indian agent, assured a gen- 
tlemen of Ohio, now living, that several of the Indiana 



GENERAL HARRISON. 33 

eng-anred in the battle, who visited Fort Wayne after the 
action, stated tiieir number to have been near twelve hun- 
dred, and that the proportion of wounded was unusually 
great. It is an act of justice to the commander-in-chief 
to add, that a ball passed through his cravat, bruising' his 
neck, and another struck his saddle and then hit his 
thiph. The horse on which he rode was severely woun- 
ded in the head. 

No battle ever fought in the United States, has been 
more extensively examined or severely criticised than 
the battle of Tippecanoe. Soon after its occurrence, the 
enemies of governor Harrison severely censured his con- 
duct, and charged upon him that he permitted the Indians 
to select his camping ground, and was taken by surprise 
on the morning of the attack. These charges, although 
generally discredited, and made by irresponsible persons, 
called out the testimonv of the officers and men engao-ed 
in the action, and thus placed all the facts before the 
public. In regard to the first of these charges, general 
Waller Taylor, of Indiana, under date of 15th of July, 
1823, says : "The Indians did not dictate to the gover- 
nor the position to encamp tiie army, the night before the 
battle of Tippecanoe. After the army reached the In- 
dian town, in the afternoon, perhaps about sun-set, the 
governor ordered major Clark and myself to proceed to 
the left, and endeavor to find a suitable place for encamj)- 
ment ; we did so, and discovered the place upon which 
the battle was fought the next morning ; upon our return 
to the army, we reported to the governor our opinion 
about the place, which we stated to be favorable fer an 
encampment."* This statement is corroborated by col- 
onel William Piatt, late of Cincinnati, who was also in 
the action. Major Charles Larrabee, a brave officer, who 
was also present, says, under date of 13th October, 18*23 : 
*' Three officers, well able to judge, went out in search of 
a place, and they reported the one taken up. The situa- 
tion was such, that if the army had been called upon to 
make choice of a place to fight the Indians, I venture to 
say, nine-tenths would have made that their selection." f 

• Dawson. f lb. 



34 SKETCHES OF 

In the year following, general Hopkins, of Kentucky, 
a revolutionary officer, wiiile on an expedition against 
the Peoria towns in Indiana, visited the battle ground of 
Tippecanoe, and expressed the opinion that the spot on 
which general Harrison encamped, was the best in the 
neighborhood of the Prophet's town. In this opinion 
the officers of this expedition concurred; and such, we 
are authorized to say, has been the fact with many mili- 
tary men, who have since visited the scene of action. 

In reply to the second charge, Joel Cook, Josiah Snel- 
ling, R. C. Barton, O. G. Burton, Nathaniel F. Adams, 
Charles Fuller, A. Hawkins, George Gooding, H. Burch- 
stead, Josiah D. Foster, and Hosea Bloodgood, all of 
them officers of the fourth regiment, United States in- 
fantry, an-din the battle of Tippecanoe, say, under their 
own proper hands: "We deem it our duty to state, as 
incontestable facts, that the commander-in-chief through- 
out the campaign, and in the hour of battle, proved him- 
self the soldier and the general — that on the night of the 
action, by his order, we slept on our arms, and rose on 
our posts; that notwithstanding the darkness of the 
night, and the most consummate savage cunning of the 
enemy in eluding our sentries, and rapidity in rushing 
through the guards, we were not found unprepared : 
that few of the men were able to enter our camp, and 
those few doomed never to return ; that in pursuance of 
his orders, which were adapted 1o every emergency, the 
enemy were defeated with a slaughter almost unparallel- 
ed among savages. Indeed, one sentiment of confidence, 
respect, and affection towards the commander-in-chief, 
pervaded the whole line of the army, any attempt to de- 
stroy which, we shall consider as an insult to our under- 
standings, and an injury to our feelings." * 

Major Larrabee, under date of Fort Knox, January 8th, 
1812, says, *' at the commencement of the action, my 
company were at rest in their tents, with their clothes 
and accoutrements on, their guns lying by their sides, 
loaded, and bayonets fixed, and were by my order para- 
ded in line of battle, ready to meet the enemy within 

* Dawson. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 36 

forty seconds from the commencement of the action, all 
of which was performed one or two minutes before a man 
of the company was wounded."* 

The olhccrs and non-coniniissioned ofricors and pri- 
yates of the militia corps (Harjjrave's excepted) of Knox 
county, in Indiana, who served in this cainpaif^n, held a 
meeting in Vincennes, 7th December, 1811, and passed 
the followiujr resolutions, unanimously: 

'' That it is a notorious fact, known to the whole army, 
that all the changes o{ position rnad<> by the troops du- 
rintj the action of the 7lh ultimo, and by which the vic- 
tory was secured, were made by the direction of the com- 
mander-in-chief, and generally executed under his imme- 
diate superintendence. 

'' That it was owing to the skill and valor of the com- 
mander-in-chief, that the victory of Tippecanoe was ob- 
tained. 

*' That we have the most perfect confidence in the com- 
mander-in-chief, and shall always feel a cheerfulness in 
serving under him, whenever the exigencies of the coun- 
try may recr.iire it."]- 

General Thomas Scott, of Indiana, under date of Vin- 
cennes, July 25, 1823, says: 

" I have thought, and still think, that few generals 
would have faced danger at so many points as general Har- 
rison did in the action of Tippecanoe. Wherever the ac- 
tion was warmest, was general Harrison to be found, and 
heard encouragingand cheeringtheoflicersand soldiers.":^ 

Mr. Adam Walker, of Keene, New Hampshire, a 

Erinter by profession, who was in the action, says, in 
is published journal : 
" General Harrison received a shot through the rim 
of his hat. In the heat of the action his voice was fre- 
quently heard, and easily distinguished, giving his or- 
ders in the same calm, cool and collected manner, with 
which we had been used to receive them on drill or pa- 
rade. The confidence of the troops in the general was 
unlimited." 

General John O'Fallon, now residing in St. Louis, a 
nephew of general George Rocrers Clark, and a gallant 

* Dawson. f R). 4 lb. 



36 SKETCHES OF 

officer of the late war, havinfj distinguished himself at 
the siefre o^ Fort Meiffs and the battle of the Thames, in 
a late speech, at a public meeting in that city, in speak- 
ing of general Harrison, says : 

" At the age of nineteen, I first became acquainted 
with the distinguished patriot in whose behalf we have 
assembled, and having been by his side through nearly 
the whole of the late war, I can bear testimony to his 
cool, undaunted and collected courage, as well as to his 
skill, as an able, efficient and active officer. After the 
battle of Tippecanoe, wliich has thrown so much glory 
over our country's arms, it was universally adndtfed that 
<reiieral Harrison was the only officer that cuuld have saved 
the army from defeat and massacre.^* 

In dismissing this part of our subject, it is proper to 
say, that at the commencement of the attack, the com- 
mander-in-chief had risen, and was seated by the fire in 
conversation with Wells, Taylor, Owen and Hurst, the 
three latter his aids-d-e-camp, and the former con)mand- 
ing the mounted riflemen. These individuals had been 
awakened by their commander, before four o'clock, and 
preparations were making, at the moment of the attack, 
for the troops generally to turn out. Additional testi- 
mony, of a high and unimpeachable character, might, if 
necessary, be adduced to repel the charge of governor 
Harrison's having been taken by surprise. 

Another charge circulated against the commnnder-in- 
chief, is, that he put the gallant Daviess on his white 
horse, in consequence of which that officer lost his life. 
In reply to this unfounded allegation, it is only necessary 
to say, that Major Daviess was killed whilst bravely 
charging on foot, and that he was not on general Harri- 
son's horse, nor any other horse during the engagement. 
This charge has been varied so as to make Owen, instead 
of Daviess, the iiidividual who was killed on general 
Harrison's white horse. This is equally untrue. Owen 
was killed upon his own white horse, and was not, at any 
time, during the action, on either of general Harrison's 
horses. The facts in this case have been stated, dis- 
tinctly, by the commander-in-chief, in a letter to Dr. 
Scott of Frankfort, Kentucky. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 37 

"I had in tlip campaijrn, for my own ridinrr, a pray 
mare and a sorrel liorse. They were both fine riding 
nags, but the mare was uncommonly sj)iritc(l and active. 
I generally rode them alternately, day and day about. On 
the day wo ^ot to the town, 1 was on the mare, and as it 
was our invariable rule to have tne horses saddled and 
bridled throujrh the niirht, the saddle was kept upon her, 
and, like other horses belont^ing to my family, she was 
lied to a picket driven into the trround, in the rear of my 
marquee, and between that and the bajroaire wao-on. In 
the nijrht the mare pulled up the picket and got loose. 
The dragoon seutinel awakening my servant George, the 
latter caught the mare, and tied her to the wagon wheel 
on the back side. When the alarni took place 1 called 
for the mare. George, being aroused from his sleep, 
and confoundedly frightened, forgot that he had removed 
her to the other side of the wagon, and was unable to 
find her. In the meantime, major Taylor's servant had 
brought up his horse. The major observed that I had bet- 
ter mount him, and he would get another and follow me. 
I did so. Poor Owen accompanied me, mounted upon 
a remarkably white horse. Before we got to the an^le, 
which was first attacked, Owen was killed. I at that 
time supposed that it was a ball which had passed over 
the heads of the infantry that had killed him ; but I am 
persuaded that he was killed by one of the two Indians 
who got within the lines, and that it was extremely 
probable that they mistook him for me. Taylor joined 
me in a few minutes after, mounted on my gray mare. 
I immediately directed him to go and get another. He 
returned to my quarters, and preferring my sorrel horse to 
another of his own that was there, mounted him, and we 
thus continued on each other's horses, till near the close 
of the action. Being then with both my aids-de-camp, 
Taylor and Hurst, in the rear of the right flank line, the 
fire of several Indians near to the line was directed at us. 
One of their balls killed the horse that Taylor was riding, 
and another passed through the sleeve of his coat, a third 
wounded the horse I was ridinir in the head, and a fourth 
was very near terminatii)g my earthly career." 

In December, 1811, the legislative council, and house 



38 SKETCHES OF 

of representatives of the Indiana territory, presented an 
address to governor Harrison, in reference to the battle 
of Tippecanoe, in which they bear testimony to his " su- 
perior capacity," " integrity," and " other qualities which 
adorn the mind in a superlative degree." 

In December, 1811, the Hon. John J. Crittenden mov- 
ed the following resolution in the legislature of Ken- 
tucky, which, after being fully discussed, was carried 
with only two or three dissenting votes. 

"Resolved, that in the late campaign against the In- 
dians on the Wabash, governor William Henry Harrison 
has, in the opinion of this legislature, behaved like a 
hero, a patriot and a general ; and that for his cool, delib- 
erate, skillful, and gallant conduct in the late battle of 
Tippecanoe, he well deserves the warmest thanks of the 
nation." This resolution was approved by governoi 
Scott. 

President Madison, on the 18th of December, 1811, in 
a message to Congress, says, in regard to this battle: 

" While it is deeply lamented that so many valuable 
lives have been lost in the action which took place on the 
7th ultimo, congress will see with satisfaction the daunt- 
less spirit and fortitude displayed by every description of 
the troops engaged, as well as the collected firmness 
which distinguished their commander on an occasion re- 
quiring the utmost exertion of valor and discipline." 

M'Afee in his History of the Late War, says : "After 
much altercation, by which the battle of Tippecanoe was 
fought over again, and fully investigated, in all the pub- 
lic circles of the western country, the public opinion pre- 
ponderated greatly in favor of tlie governor. All the ma- 
terial accusations of liis enemies were disproved ; and 
after all the testimony had been heard, the common opin- 
ion seemed to be, that the arm.y had been conducted with 
prudence, and that the battle had been fought as well as 
it could have been by any general, considering the time 
and manner of the attack." 

Dawson, in his Life of Harrison, says : " The battle of 
Tippecanoe had a different character from any one that 
had ever before been fought with the Indians. A victory 
had never been obtained over them where the force on 



CENKHAL HARRISON. 311 

both sides was noarly eqir.il, and in no battle tliat had 
ever before been toiiirlii with them, were tbore so many 
killed in proportion to the number engaged." 'I'he same 
writer adds : " Thai mutual confidence which ought al- 
ways to subsist between the commander of an army and 
the troops commanded, perhaps never had been in a high- 
er degree manifested, than at the battle of Tippecanoe. 
Wherever his presence was required during the action, 
there was tlie governor to be found. The plan he had 
laid down previous to the battle, was so well understood 
by his men, that, notwithstanding the enemy was not 
really expected that night, within less than two minutes 
after the first fire was heard, every man was at his post." 

Judge Hall, himself an officer in the late war with 
Great Britain, in speaking of the battle of Tippecanoe, 
says: "As far as any commander is entitled to credit, 
independent of his army, he (general Harrison,) merits 
and has received it. He shared every danger and fatigue 
to which his army was exposed. In the battle he was 
in more peril than any other individual ; for he was per- 
sonally known to every Indian, and exposed himself fear- 
lessly, on horseback, at all points of the attack, during 
the whole engagement. Every important movement 
was made by his express order." 

Finally, we take leave of this subject, in the language 
of the same eloquent writer ; " The field of Tippecanoe 
has become classic ground ; the American traveler pau- 
ses there to contemplate a scene which has become hal- 
lowed by victory ; the people of Indiana contemplate 
with pride the battle-ground on which their militia won 
imperishable honor, and their infant state became enrolled 
in the ranks of patriotism."* 



Hall's Memoir of Harrison. 



40 SKETCHES OF 



CHAPTER V. 

Governor Harrison visits Kentucky Appointed Major General 

in the Militia of that state. — Brigadier in the United States 
army. — Commander-in-chief of the North-western army. — . 
ReUeves Fort Wayne. — Leads an expedition against the Wa- 
bash Indians. — Appoints Winchester to the command of the 
left wing of the army. — Refutation of the charge that he had 
intrigued for Winchester's command. — Reconciles the troops 
to serve under Winchester. — Plan of campaign. 

During the early part of the year 1812, the Indians, 
instigated by British agents, continued their depreda- 
tions on the north-western frontiers, notwithstanding 
their signal defeat at Tippecanoe. This led the gov- 
ernors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, to en- 
gage in the work of placing their respective states and 
territories in a posture of defence, or in raising volun- 
teers for border operations. On the 18th of June, a new 
aspect was given to the affairs of the west, by the dec- 
iaration of war, made by the United States against Great 
Britain. This measure, while it was hailed with patri- 
otic enthusiasm, throughout the west, brought with it 
many fearful apprehensions of danger and bloodshed, in 
consequence of the defenceless condition of the north- 
western frontier. It is honorable to the patriotism and 
military talents of governor Harrison, that in this hour of 
peril, the people of the west looked up to him, as the 
soldier who was to protect their homes and repel inva- 
sion. 

The secretary at war had directed governor Harrison 
to take command of all the troops of the Indiana and Il- 
linois territories, to carry oin the war against the Indians 
in that quarter ; and had also authorized him to call on 
the governor of Kentucky, for any portion of the quota 
of five thousand five hundred men of that state, not in 
service. Under this authority, and on the invitation of 
governor Scott, he visited Kentucky, in the month of 
August, to confer in regard to these troops ; and was re- 
ceived with distinguished honors by the people and the 



i 



GENERAL IIARRISOV. 41 

public authorities. Previous to this time, about eighteen 
mindred volunteers, part of the quota of five thousand 
five hundred men, under the command of preneral John 
Payne, liad been ordered to rendezvous at (leornetnwn, 
preparatory to marching to reinforce general Hull. 
There was a pervading public setiiiiiient, that governor 
Harrison should head these troops; but the authority 
\vith which he was invested by the president, did not en- 
title him to command any corps not intended for opera- 
tions in the western territories. Governor Harrison not 
being a citizen of Kentucky, the executive of that state 
had technical difficulties to surmount in crivinor him the 
appointment, although wished by the army at Detroit, 
ami sanctioned by the public feeling throughout the state. 
He accordingly called a council of such members of 
congress, and officers of the state and general govern- 
ments, as could be hastily assembled. Among them 
were ex-governors Shelby and Greenup, Henry Clay, 
J\idge Todd, of the supreme court of the United States, 
Judge Innis, of the federal court, general Samuel Hop- 
kins, and colonel R. M. Johnson, who unanimously ad- 
vised governor Scott to give Harrison a brevet commis- 
sion of major-general in the Kentucky militia ; and 
authorize him to take the command of the detachment 
under Payne, then marching to Detroit. The appoint- 
ment was accordingly made on the 25th of August. 

At this time, brigadier-general James Winchester, of 
the army of the United States, was recruiting at liCxing- 
ton. Having written to the secretary at war, that he inten- 
ded to assume the command of the troops under Payne, 
he set off and overtook the detachment at Cincinnati. 
Upon general Harrison's arrival at that place, on the 
morning of the 27th, he informed general Winchester ot 
the authority he hvid received to take command of the 
Kentucky troops, but invited him to continue with the 
army. General Winchester, however, returned to Lex- 
incrton. On the 28th, c'^nf'ral Harrison wrote to the sec- 
retary at war, announcing the appointment he had receiv- 
ed from the governor of Kentucky ; and, in a lucid and 
able manner, suggested a plan of operations for the de- 
fence of the north-west. On the 30th, he left Cincinnati, 



42 SKETCHES OF 

and joined his troops on the following day, forty miles 
north of that place. On the 2nd of September, near 
Piqua, he was overtaken by an express, from the war de- 
department, informing him that he had been appointed a 
brigadier-general in the United States army, and assigned 
the command of the troops in Indiana and Illinois, — the 
acceptance of which appointment he held under advise- 
ment. On the 3rd, he reached Piqua, when he learned 
that Fort Wayne was invested by the Indians. Before 
reaching Piqua, he was informed that general Winches- 
ter had been directed by the secretary at war, to command 
in person, the detachment ordered to reinforce general 
Hull. This order had been given before the department 
had been informed of the commission which the governor 
of Kentucky had conferred upon general Harrison. He 
immediately wrote to general Winchester, to come to 
Piqua, and assume the command of the detachment. 
On the 4th of September, hearing that a body of British 
and Indians had left Maiden, to assist in reducing Fort 
Wayne, he determined not to wait for Winchester, but to 
move to the relief of that place, which was reached on 
the morning of the 12th. The Indians fled upon the ap- 
proach of the army, without having eflfected the reduc- 
tion of the fort. 

General Winchester not having arrived. General Har- 
rison determined to employ the troops in destroying the 
Indian towns on the Wabash and Elk Hart. Colonel 
Wells led a body of troops to the latter place, and the 
general, in person, headed those destined to the former. 
At both places, the Indian settlements were broken up, 
and large quantities of corn destroyed. After the return 
of the troops to Fort Wayne, general Winchester arri- 
ved and took command of that portion of the arn>y which 
had been assigned to him by the war department, com- 
posed of the regiments of Allen, Lewis and Scott, of the 
Kentucky troops, Garrard's troop of cavalry of the same 
state, and a part of the 17th U. S. regiment of infantry, 
under Wells. The command of the residue of the Ken- 
tucky troops, embracing Simrall's regiment of cavalry, 
and the regiments of infantry under Jennings, Poague 
and Barbee, was retained by general Harrison, the}' hav- 



GENERAL HARRISON 43 

ing been placed under him, ns {rovernnr of Indiana, hy 
the secretary at war. 'i'liis change of commanders, was 
very unacceptable to the first named detachment, the 
troops having become enthusiastically nttaclied to cr»n- 
eral Harrison. From the ireneral order, issued by him, 
at Fort Wayne, on the IDth, upon turning over the com- 
mand to Winchester, the followinrj par<icrraph is taken. 

" If any thinor could soften the roiiret which tfie cjen- 
eral feels at partinor with troops which have so entirely 
won his confidence and affection, it is the circutnstance 
of his committincr them to the charge of one of the he- 
roes of our glorious revolution ; a man distintruished as 
well for the service he has rendered the country, as for 
the possession of every qualification which constitutes 
the gentleman." 

It required, indeed, all the influence of general Harri- 
son and the officers of the detachment, to reconcile the 
men to this change of commanders. 

On the 24th, a letter was received from the war de- 
partment, by general Harrison, in reply to his communi- 
cations from Cincinnati, in which the secretary assured 
him, that in taking the command of the north-western 
frontier, he had " anticipated the wishes of the presi- 
dent." A few days afterwards, he received another dis- 
patch from the department, dated on the 17th of Septem- 
ber, announcing that the president had appointed him to 
the command of the whole western department of the 
army. Connected with this appointment, was the fol- 
lowing order: " Having provided for the protection of 
the western frontier, you will retake Detroit, and with a 
view to the conquest of Upper Canada, you will pene- 
trate the country as far as the force under your command 
will justify." In a letter to governor Shelby of the 
same date, the secretary says : " to meet existing contin- 
gencies, after consulting the lawful authority vested in 
the president, it has been determined to vest the command 
of all forces on the western and north-western frontier, 
in an officer whose military character and kiioulpdire of 
the country appeared to he combined with the public con- 
fidence. General Harrison has accordingly been appoint- 
ed to the chief command, with authority to employ offi- 



44 SKETCHES OF 

cers, and to draw from the public stores, and every other 
practicable source, all the means of effectuating the ob- 
ject of his command." 

This was in reply to a letter, in which the patriotic 
governor had suggested to the president the expediency 
of his appointing a board of war, similar to that appoint- 
ed by Washington, in 1791, to direct the military opera- 
tions in this region. It shows the unlimited confidence 
reposed by president Madison, in general Harrison. The 
command assigned to him under such flattering circum- 
stances, involved duties of the most responsible kind, 
and required talents of the highest order. 

General M'Afee, an officer in the late war, in referring 
to this appointment, says: "The services which he was 
required to perform, were, in the opinion of old, experi- 
enced and able officers, the most extensive and arduous, 
that had ever been required from any military commander 
in America. The endless number of posts and scattered 
settlements which he was obliged to maintain and pro- 
tect, against numerous and scattered bands of Indians, 
while he was contending with difficulties almost insur- 
mountable, in the main expedition against Maiden, were 
sufficient to employ all the time, and talents, and resour- 
ces of the greatest military genius at the head of a well 
appointed army." 

When general Harrison was directed to repair to the 
frontier of Ohio, the secretary at war authorized him to 
designate an officer to take command f)f the troops inten- 
ded to operate in the direction of the Wabash and Illi- 
nois rivers. On the 22nd of September, under date from 
St. Mary's, the general appointed major-general Hopkins, 
of Kentucky, to this command. At the same time, col- 
onel Russel himself, one of the heroes of King's Moun- 
tain, was leading an expedition of mounted rangers, 
against the Indians of the Peoria towns, in Illinois. 

The commander-in-chief, under date of Piqua, 27th 
of September, announced to the war department, his ar- 
rangements for the campaign in the following terms ; — 
" The final arrangement for the march of the army to- 
wards Detroit is as follows : The right column, compos- 
ed of the Pennsylvania and Virginia troops, are directed 



GENERAL HARRISON. 45 

to r^'udezvous at Wooster, a town upon the head waters 
of Mohecan, John's creek, thirty-live miles north of 
Mount Vernon, and forty-five miU'S west of Canton, and 
proceed from thence hy I pper Sandusky, to the rapids 
of the Miami. The middle column, consistin^■ of twelve 
hundred Ohio militia, will march from Urhana, where 
they now are, takinpf creneral Hull's track to the Uapids ; 
and the left column, composed of a detachment of rejr- 
iilars, under colonel Wells, and six Kentucky renriments 
will proceed fmm Fort Defiance down the Miami, to the 
Kapids. The mounted force, under an officer whom I 
shall select for that purpose, will take the route mention- 
ed in my former letter, from Fort Wayne up the St. 
Joseph's, and across the waters of the river Haisin. 
U[ion reflection, I am induced to abandon the scheme of 
attackinjr Detroit ; for should it he successful, as the in- 
fantry will not be in readiness to support them, it must 
necessarily be abandoned, and the inliabitants be more 
exposed to the depredations of the Indians than they now 
are. A more useful employment will be, to sweep the 
western side of the strait and lake, of the Indians who 
are scattered from Browi>stown to the Kapids, rioting upon 
the plunder of the farms which have been abandoned." 

From Fort Wayne, creneral Winchester proceeded 
down the Miami of the lake to Defiance, but was impe- 
ded in his march by a large body of Indians, and sonrie 
British troops, with artillery. Of the advance of this 
force towards Fort Wayne, general Harrison was inform- 
ed on the same day, by two expresses, one from governor 
Meigs, enclosing a loiter from Cleveland, and the other 
from general Winchester. General Hiurison, on the 
evening of the same day, started to Defiance with two 
regiments of infantry, and the whole of the mounted 
men, and reached that j)1ace on the 2nd of October; but 
the enemy had passed that point, some days betbre. In 
the march to Defiance, the troops suffered greatly : the 
weather was cold and inclement, and the want of tents 
was severely felt. The general shared the same nriva- 
tions as his troops, and by his fortitude and cheerfulness, 
served to encourage his men. While at Defiance, news 
reached the annv, that general Harrison had been ap- 



46 SKETCHES OF 

pointed to the command of the whole north-western de- 
partment, — a fact which gave great satisfaction to the 
troops, and contributed to reconcile them to the arduous 
service in which they were engaged. When making 
this appointment, the department had given to general 
Winchester, the option of remaining with Harrison, or 
of joining the army on the Niagara frontier. General 
Harrison, in announcing his appointment to general Win- 
chester, says ; *' Need I add, that it will give me the most 
heartfelt pleasure, if you could determine to remain with 
us." On the 3rd of October, at camp Defiance, under a 
general order, in yielding up the command of his detach- 
ment, general Winchester said : 

" I have the honor of announcing to this army the ar- 
rival of general Harrison, who is duly authorized by the 
executive of the federal government, to take the com- 
mand of the north-western army. 

"This officer, enjoying the implicit confidence of the 
states, from whose citizens this army is and will be col- 
lected, and possessing himself, great military skill and 
reputation, the general is confident in the belief that his 
presence in this army, in the character of its chief, will 
be hailed with universal approbation." 

General Winchester, preferring the service in the north- 
west, to that on the Niagara frontier, general Harrison 
immediately invested him with the command of the left 
wing of the army, the advance portion of which was then 
at Fort Defiance. 

An accusation has been preferred against general Har- 
rison, by Winchester and his friends, that he had in- 
trigued with the war department to obtain the command, 
with which he was now invested. This charffe is found- 
ed on the fact that the officers of the regiments of Poague, 
Jennings, and Barbee, had requested the president to ap- 
point general Harrison to the supreme command in the 
west. It is to be borne in mind, that Winchester had no 
right to command these regiments — they had been dis- 
tinctly assigned to Harrison by the proper authority. 
Winchester had no command but of the single detach- 
ment sent from Kentucky for the relief of Hull. How 
then could the memorial of Harrison's own officers, in 



GENERAL HARRISON. 47 

favor of his bointr mnde commander-in-chief, interfere 
with the rights of {General Winchester, when he m-veT 
had been invested with, n«)r promised that station? The 
memorial did not ask that Winchesti r should be sus- 
pended in the command of his parlicnlar detachment, but 
simply that Harrison should l)e placed in a new position. 
This charire has been fully met, however, by the written 
statements of fjeneral Waller 'I'aylor, late of Itidiana, tlie 
Rev. JSamuel Shannfin, captain John Arnold, the Rev. 
James JSusju^et, and (general 'J'iiomas 13odley, of Ken- 
tucky; all of whom were present with the army at the 
period of this allpdired intrigue. Their statements, made 
in 1817, '18 and '19, are published at lenirih in Daw- 
son's Life of Harrison. 'i'hey prove substantially and 
fully, that when general Winchester arrived at Fort 
Wayne to take command of the detachment assigned 
him by the secretary at war, that great disapprobation 
was expressed by the officers and men, at the circum- 
stance ; that the dissatisfaction was so great as to amount 
almost to open mutiny — that Harrison, by his general 
orders and his personal ap})eals to the officers and troops, 
did much to recoticiie them to the change, and, in short, 
that bnt for his influence and most active exertions, the 
men would have refused to serve under general Win- 
chester. 

It is due to the reputation of general Winchester, to 
add, that the principal objection of the volunteers to serv- 
ing under him, arose from the fact of his being an officer 
in the resfular army. They had no personal objection to 
him. Indeed, it was not so much a dislike to general 
Winchester, which created the difficulty, as a desire to 
serve under one who had so recently gained the brilliant 
victory of Tippecanoe, and was familiar with Indian 
warfare. 

From Defiance, general Harrison returned to St. Ma- 
ry's, and from thence passed through Piqua and Urbana 
to Franklinton, which was the line of march for the right 
wing of the army. His object in returning to this place 
was to hasten the supplies of provisions, clothing and 
ammunition, and make other arrangements for the ad- 
vance of the troops. While at St. Mary's, on his way 



48 SKETCHES OF 

to Franklinton, he was informed that Fort Wayne was 
again invested. He forthwith dispatched colonel Allen 
Trimble, with five hundred mounted riflemen, to the re- 
lief of the place. At Franklinton, he received a dispatch 
from the worthy oflUcer commanding this expedition, in- 
forming him of its partial failure, in consequence of the 
defection of one half of his troops, who abandoned him 
upon reaching Fort Wayne. He proceeded, however, 
with the remainder, and destroyed two Indian villages. 
About the same time, intelligence reached the com- 
mander-in-chief, of the failure of the expedition under 
general Hopkins, against the Indian villages on the Illi- 
nois river. Another expedition, prosecuting at the same 
time, and in the same region, under governor Edwaids 
and colonel Russel, surprised the Kickapoo town of Pe- 
oria, at the head of Peoria lake, and either killed or dis- 
perssed the inhabitants. In connection with these opera- 
tions, the brilliant defence of Fort Harrison, under the 
command of the gallant captain, Zachary Taylor, may be 
named. It covered that young officer with glory, and 
led to his being honored with the brevet commission of 
major, in the United States army. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Movements of the army.— Tupper's expedition to the Rapids. — 
Campbell's expedition to Mississiniway. — General Harrison 
recommends a fleet on lake Erie. — Plan of operations for the 
campaign. — Again urges on the Secretary at War the neces- 
sity of a fleet on lake Erie. — Winchester's movement to the 
Rapids. — His movement to the river Raisin, and defeat on 
the 22nd of January. — The question examined, on whom rests 
the blame of that defeat.— Opinion of Wood— M'Afee's 
opinions. — Address of the Kentucky and Ohio ofl[icers. 

We now recur to movements more immediately under 
the direction of the commander-in-chief. " The troops 



i 



GENERAL HARRISON. 49 

advancing on the line of operations, which passed from 
Delaware, by Upper to Lower JSandusky, composed of 
the liriirades from VirfrJiiia and Pennsylvania, and that 
of Perkins from Ohio, were dtsiijnated in general orders, 
and commonly known as the right wing of the army ; 
Tuppir's brigade from Ohio, moving on Hnll's road, for- 
med tl'.e eentro division ; and the Ivontuckians, under 
\Vinciiesrt.er, were styled llie left wing." 

Early in November, general Tnpper of the Ohio mili- 
tia, wiili a detachment of six hundred and fifty men, 
marched to the ra})ids of tjie Miami of the lake, for the 
purpose of attacking a force of several hundred Indians, 
and some British troops, who were at that point gather- 
ing corn. 13etor-e starting, he advised general Winchester 
of the intended movement. He reached the foot of the 
Rapids, and made an eft'ort to cross the river in the nitrht, 
for the purpose of meeting the enemy next morning. 
Failing in this, he dispatched an express to general Win- 
chester, on the 14th, stating his situation, and asking for 
a reinforcement. 

After furtiier inefiectual attempts to cross the river, and 
to decoy the enemy across, he returned to his encamp- 
ment. M'Afee, in his history of the war, thus notices the 
progress and result of the expedition : "When Tupper's 
second express reached general Winchester's camp, he 
found that a detachment of four hundred men had been 
sent out under the cnmmand of colonel Lewis, to march 
to his support ; they proceeded, on the morning of the 
15th, down the left bank of the river, and in the course 
of the night ensign Charles S. Todd was sent with a few 
men by colonel Lewis to apprise Tupper of his approach, 
to concert the time and manner of forniing a junction of 
the two corps. 'I'odd found 'I'upper's camp evacuated, 
and the bodies of two men, who had been killed and 
scalped. Todd returning with this inf irmation to colo- 
nel Lewis, that officer retreated with his command to 
Winchester's camp. If this expedition did not produce 
all the good which mifjht have resulted from it, it was of 
great service in one particular. The detachment of Bri- 
tish and Lidians, consisting of about four hundred of the 
latter, and seventy-five of the former, fell back upon the 
4 



50 SKETCHES OF 

river Raisin, and gave up the idea ot removing the corn 
from the abandoned farms at the Rapids, which was the 
object of their being at that place." 

About the period of this enterprise, the commander-in- 
chief resolved to send an expedition against the Indian 
towns on the Mississiniway river, one of the branches 
of the Wabash. This measure was rendered the more 
necessary from the failure of the expedition under gen- 
eral Hopkins, already mentioned. The detachment 
was placed under lieutenant colonel Campbell, of the 
19th United States regiment. It was composed of six 
hundred mounted men. They left Franklinton on the 
25th of November, passed Greenville on the 14th of 
December, and reached the first village on the Missis- 
siniway, on the 18th, which was attacked, and eight men 
killed, and forty-two prisoners taken. Two other towns 
were visited and destroyed, the inhabitants having fled. 
Before day on the following morning, the Indians at- 
tacked colonel Campbell's camp. A severe action of an 
hour ensued, when the Indians were finally charged with 
great spirit and dispersed. They left fifteen dead on the 
ground, others were thrown into the river or carried off. 
Colonel Campbell had eight killed, and forty-eight 
wounded. When the detachment reached Greenville, on 
their return, one-half of it was unfit for duty, being ei 
ther wounded, frost-bitten, or sick. General Harrison 
issued a general order, after the expedition was termina- 
ted, from which we quote the concluding paragraph. It 
must be universally admired, not less for the beauty of 
the sentiment, than the eloquence with which it is ex- 
pressed : 

" But the character of this gallant detachment, exhib- 
iting as it did, perseverance, fortitude and bravery, would, 
however, be incomplete, if in the midst of victory they 
had forgotten the feelings of humanity. It is with the 
sincerest pleasure, that the general has heard that the 
most punctual obedience was paid to his orders, in not 
only saving all the women and children, but in sparing 
all the warriors who ceased to resist; and, that when 
vigorously attacked by the enemy, the claims of mercy 
prevailed over every sense of their own danger, and the 



4 



GENERAL HARRISON. 51 



heroic band respected the lives of their prisoners. Let 
an account of murdered innocence be opened in the re- 
cords of Heaven, afrainst our enemies alone. 'I'iie Amer- 
ican soldier will follow the example of his government, 
and the sword of the one, will not be raised an^jiinst the 
fallen and the helpless, nor the go\d of the other paid for 
the scalps of a massacred enemy." 

i The troops composing the hftwinfr of the army, hav- 
ing finished the erection of Fort Winchester, were direc- 
ted by the commander-in-chief, early in December, to 
march to the Rapids, so soon as provisions for a few 
weeks had been accumulated. On the 12lh of this 
month, general Harrison, in a letter to the war depart- 

. ment, says : " If there were not some important political 

I reason, urging the recovery of the Michigan territory, 
and the capture of Maiden, as soon as these objects can 
possibly be efiected ; and that to accomplish them a few 
weeks sooner, expense was to be disregarded, I should 
not hesitate to say, that if a small proportion of the 
sums, which will be expended in the quarter-master's 
department, in the active prosecution of the campaign, 
during the winter, was devoted to the obtaining the com- 

I mand of lake Erie, the wishes of the government in 
their utmost extent, could be accomplished without diffi- 

1 cuhy, in the months of April and May. Maiden, De- 
troit and Macinaw, would fall in rapid succession." 
The necessity of securing the naval ascendency of lake 
Erie, had been forcibly pointed out to the government, 
by general Harrison, as early as the year 1809. 

On the 20th, the commander-in-chief established his 
head quarters at Upper Sandusky. Whilst here, he re- 
ceived a communication from colonel Campbell, inform- 
ing him of the result of the INIississiniway expedition. 
He forthwith started for Chillicothe, to consult with 
governor Meigs about another expedition against the In- 
dians of that quarter. At Franklinton he received a let- 
ter from the new secretary at war, Mr. Monroe, in which he 
was told that the president, havintj great confidence in 
the solidity of his opinion, leaves the object of the cam- 
paign entirely to the decision of general Harrison, and 
promises the support of the government to any measures 



52 SKETCHES OF 

he may think proper to adopt. In a letter from Fran ! 
linton, dated the 4th of January, 1813, the general sa- . 
to the department: " My plan of operations has bee . 
and now is, to occupy the Miami Rapids, and to depof 
there as much provisions as possible; to move fro ■ 
thence with a choice detachment of the army, and wi i 
as much provision, artillery and ammunition, as the mea' 
of transportation will allow — make a demonstration t 
wards Detroit, and by a sudden passa^re of the strr. '! 
upon the ice, an actual investiture of Maiden." On tl 
8th, in another letter, the general says : " Should our c. 
fensive operations be suspended until spring, it is m- 
decided opinion, that the most effectual and cheapest plz .* 
will be to obtain the command of the lake. This bein 
once effected, every difficulty will be removed. An arm 
of four thousand men, landed on the north side of th -: 
lake, below Maiden, will soon reduce that place — retak'^ 
Detroit, and, with the aid of the fleet, proceed down th 
lake to co-operate with the army from Niagara." A fe\ 
days after the date of this letter, the general returned t 
Upper Sandusky, where troops and supplies for the armv 
were rapidly accumulating. 

We again return to the left wingr of the army. M'Al 
fee, in his " History of the Late War," says : 

"General Harrison had expected, on his first arriva" 
at Upper Sandusky, about the 18th of December, to b 
met there by an express from general Winchester, witl; 
information of his advance to the Rapids, in conformity 
with the advice which had previously been given him. 
As no such information had arrived, he soon afterward, 
dispatched ensign C. S. Todd, division judge advocate 
of the Kentucky troops, to Winchester's camp, on the 
Miami below Defiance. Todd was accompanied by two 
gentlemen of the Michigan territory, and three Wyandott 
Indians. He proceeded directly across the country, and 
performed the journey with a degree of secrecy and dis- 
patch highly honorable to his skill and enterprise, hav- 
ing completely eluded all the scouts of the enemy. He 
was instructed to communicate to general Winchester 
the following directions and plans from the commander- 
in-chief: "that as soon as he had accumulated provisions 



GENERAL HARRISON. 53 

- !br twenty days, he was authorized to advance to the 
c- *laj)ids, where he was to conwuer.ce the building of huts, 
,£ro induce the enemy to believe that he was going into 
jjtvinler quarters; that he was to construct sleds for the 
jivnain expedition against Maiden, but to i:n])ress it ou the 
/"•ninds of his men that ihey were for transporting provi- 
KTiions from the interior; that the dilTerent lines of the 
-oirmy would be concentrated at that place, and a choice 
i'iJetachrnent from the whole would then be marched rap- 
«){idly on Maiden ; that in the meantime he was to occupy 
^-'i-lhe Kapids, for the purpose of securing the provisions and 
ifistores forwarded from the other wings of the army." 
ID On the 22nd, a moderate supply of provisions and cloth- 
g,ing were received by general Winchester. On the 30th, 
Tthe march for the Rapids was commenced, and, at the 
•jwsame time, Mr. Leslie Combs, a volunteer in the army, 
!ft;was seiit to inform the commander-in-chief of the move- 
•jsment ; but owing to a severe snow-storm, he did not reach 
7»him, at Upper Sandusky, until the 11th of January, 
■■o While on his march to the Rapids, a dispatch was 
V received by Winchester, from general Harrison, recom- 
' mending him to abandon the movement to the Rapids, and 
-1 fall bask to Fort Jennings. This was owing to the in- 
formation brought by colonel Campbell, from Mississin- 
[i iway, in rrcrard to the Indians; but the recommendation 
a was not folLwed. On the 10th of January, the detach- 
il ment under Winchester reached the Rapids. On the 
^ Uth, a dispatch was sent to inform the commander-in- 
i chief of the arrival of the troops at that point; but the 
,j communication was transmitted by the persons who were 
*■ ■ taking the worn-out pack horses to Fort McArthur, a 
place°as distant from the Rapids as Upper Sandusky 
and from which it must then pass through a swampy wil- 
derness of forty miles, to the head quarters of the gene- 
ral, and was finally received by him at the Rapids, the 
point from whence it started. 

On the 12th, general Winchester forwarded another 
letter by the same kind of conveyance, to the command- 
er-in-chief, at Sandusky, saying, that nc reliance could 
be placed on retaining any of the Kentucky troops, after 
the expiration of their term of service, in February. This 



64 SKETCHES OF 

communication was sent to Lower Sandusky, with this 
endorsement on the back, "general Tupper will please 
to forward this letter by express. J. Winchester." It 
did not reach the commander-in-chief until the morning 
of the 16th, and was the first information which he had 
received of Winchester's arrival at the Rapids, although 
general Harrison had directed him to forward intelli- 
gence of that event as early as possible, that he might 
send on the remaining stores and troops. 

On the evening of the 13th, two Frenchmen arrived 
from the river Raisin, with information that the Indiana 
had threatened to attack their town, and asking assist- 
ance from general Winchester. On the 14th and 16th, 
other messengers arrived in camp, making similar ap- 
peals. Great ardor now prevailed among the troops to 
march to Raisin, and a majority of officers concurring, 
general Winchester agreed to the movement. Raisin is 
thirty-six miles from the Rapids, and eighteen from Mai- 
den. On the morning of the 17th, colonel Lewis, with 
a detachment of men, moved down to Presque Isle, a dis- 
tance of twenty miles. Here he ascertained that four 
hundred Indians were at the Raisin, and that Elliott was 
expected from Maiden, with a detachment to attack the 
camp at the Rapids. This information was sent back to 
Winchester, who forwarded it in a dispatch to the com- 
mander-in-chief, with information of the movement he 
was making to Frenchtown. The dispatch was sent by 
way of Lower Sandusky, and was met at this place by 
general Harrison, on the morning of the 19lh. 

On the 18th, Lewis reached Frenchtown, on the Rai- 
sin, met the enemy at that place, attacked and defeated 
them, with considerable loss. On the night of the i8th, 
a messenger was sent to Winchester with news of the 
result. The intelligence made the troops under him anx- 
ious to move on to Frenchtown. On the 20th, at night, 
Winchester, with all the troops that could be spared from 
the Rapids, reached Frenchtown, and encamped in an 
open lot of ground, on the right of Lewis' detachment, 
which was defended by some garden pickets. Colonel 
Wells commanded the reinforcement. To him, general 
Winchester named, but did not direct a breast-work, for 



OENKllAL HARRISON. 56 

the defence of his cimp. The general himself estab- 
lished his head-quarters in a lioiise on the opposite side 
of the river, more than a half a mile from his troops. 
On the 21st, a spot n-as selected for the whole army to 
camp ill oood order, wiih a determination to fortil'y on 
the next day. Certain information was received through 
the day, that the British were preparin]? to make an at- 
tack, and that it would be made with dispatch. Colo- 
nel Wells obtained leave, in the evening, to return to the 
Rapids, which place he reached that night, and found 
general Harrison, who had arrived the day before, and 
had made every exertion in his power to hasten on a re- 
inforcement. It should here be stated, that when general 
Harrison, on the 11th, was advised by Mr. Combs' dis- 

fiatch, of general Winchester's movement towards the 
iaisin, he ordered on some droves of hogs, and held the 
artillery in readiness to march as soon as he should be 
advised of the arrival of the detachment at the Rapids. 
On the UUh, the commander-in-chief was^rs^ informed of 
Winchester's arrival at the Rapids, and that he vicdiia- 
(ed a movement against the enemy, and had sent to Per- 
kins, at Lower S-.indusky, for a battalion of men. Gene- 
ral Harrison immediately gave orders for the artillery to 
advance by the way of Portage river, with a guard of 
three hundred men under major Orr. Escorts of provi- 
sions were ordered on the same route; but owing to the 
badness of the roads, slow progress was made. At the 
same time an express was sent to the Rapids for infor- 
mation, which was to return and meet the comrmmder-in- 
chief at Lower Sandusky, which place he reached on the 
following night. On the 18ih, a battalion, under major 
Cotgreave, was started from the Rapids. General Harri- 
son determined to follow, that he might have a personal 
consultation with Winchester. At four o'clock, on the 
morning of the 19th, he received a letter from Winches- 
ter, announcing Lewis' advance to the Raisin, and the 
objects of the expedition. He immediately ordered the 
remaining regiment of Perkins' brigade to march to the 
Rapids, and proceeded there himself. On his way he 
met an express, with intellitjence of Lewis' battle on the 
18th. On the morning of the 20th, he reached the Rap- 



56 SKETCHES OF 

ids, and found that Winchester had marched the evening 
before for the river Raisin, having left Payne in his camp 
with three hundred men. Major Cotgreave was so impe- 
ded by bad roads and ice, that on the night of the 21st, 
he was yet fifteen miles from Raisin. When general 
Harrison reached the Rapids, on the 20th, he sent cap- 
tain Hart express to Frenehtown, that Winchester might 
be informed of the movements in the rear, and with in- 
structions to the general " to maintain the position at the 
river Raisin at any rate." On the 21st, a dispatch was 
received from general Winchester, in which he stated, 
that if his force was increased to one thousand or twelve 
hundred, he could maintain the ground he had gained. 
On the evening of that day, Perkins' brigade reached the 
Rapids, and the remaining Kentuckians, under Payne, 
were ordered to march to Winchester, which they did 
next morning. The corps under Cotgreave and Payne, 
would have made the army under Winchester considera- 
bly stronger than the amount deemed by him sufficient 
to hold his position. At 12 o'clock, A. M. of the 22nd, 
news of the attack on Winchester reached the Rapids. 
General Harrison immediately ordered the regiment of 
Perkins' brigade to march with all possible expedition, 
and proceeded himself after the detachment under Payne, 
which he soon overtook. In a short time some men were 
met, who announced the total defeat of Winchester's 
forces, and that the British and Indians were pursuing 
them to the Rapids. This report induced the general to 
hasten on with still greater rapidity. In a siiort time, 
other fugitives were met, who stated that the defeat was 
total, and that resistance on the part of our troops had 
ceased early in the day. A council of the general and 
field officers was then held, who decided that it was im- 
prudent and unnecessary to proceed any further. Some 
parties of active and enterprising men were sent forward 
to assist and bring in those who might have escaped. 
The rest of the detachment returned to the Rapids. 

The tragical events which occurred at Frenehtown, on 
the 22nd and 23rd, would require, in their detail, more 
space than can be assigned them iri this work. They 
filled the West with mourning, and have beeri again and 



M una. 1 SL f* 



GENERAL HARRISON. 07 

agrain recounted, in every part of onr land. Winchester 
had vviih him in all, nine hundred nnon. The Uriii5»h 
and Indians, by whom he was detVatnd, amounted to near 
three thousand. The loss ol" Winclirsier was Iwu hun- 
dred and ninety in killed, massacred and missinn-. Only 
thirty-three escaped to the Rapids. The British took live- 
hundred and forty-seven prisoners, and the Indians forty- 
five. The loss of the British in killed and wounded is 
supposed to have heen between three and four hundred. 

So great a disaster, as the defeat at the river Raisin, 
created much exriteinent throu«{hout the country. 'I'he 
question arises, upon whom the blame of this defeat should 
rest ? We propose to say a few words upon this subject. 
In doinff so, we disclaim, in advance, all unkind feeling 
towards the name and fame of general Winchester, who 
was a brave soldier of the revolution, and is now " gath- 
ered to his fathers," — two circumstances sufficient to dis- 
arm criticism, and allay censure. Our only object is to 
show that the blame of this calamity cannot, with any 
justice whatever, be laid upon the commander-in-chief. 

General Harrison has been censured for the advance of 
Winchester to the river Raisin; and, for not reinforcing 
him wheri there. 

The instructions sent by general Harrison to Winches- 
ter, which were delivered to him on the 24th of Decem- 
ber, at his camp, a few miles below Fort Defiance, by en- 
sign Todd, were, that he should move to the Rapids, 
when twenty days' provisions had been accumulated — 
that when he reached that place, he was to build huts, 
as if going into winter quarters, and then to construct 
sleds, for the main but secret expedition of the cam- 
paign, an attack upon Maiden, contemplated by the com- 
mander-in-chief, after the other lines of the army had 
concentrated at the Rapids. While on his way to the 
Hnpids, general Winchester received another dispatch 
from tjeneral Harrison, recommending him, in conse- 
quence of information received from colonel Campbell, 
of a large body of Indians on the Wabash, under Te- 
cumthe, to abandon the movement to the Rapids, and fall 
back, with the greater part of his force, to Fort Jen- 
nings. This recommendation was disregarded. So far 



58 SKETCHES OF 

from any authority being given him to make a movement 
from the Rapids, against the enemy, such a movement 
was in direct violation of the whole plan of the campaign, 
as communicated to him. Of course, general Winches- 
ter could have had no assurances of support, when ma- 
king a movement not contemplated by the commander-in- 
chief, and in violation of his orders. 

After general Harrison was informed that Winchester 
had arrived at the Rapids, which information did not 
reach him until the night of the 16th of January, and 
that he Tneditated some movement against the enemy, he 
did all in his power to hasten forward the necessary rein- 
forcements. He was then at Upper Sandusky, sixty-five 
miles from the Rapids, and one hundred from Raisin, the 
point to which Winchester's meditated attack was di- 
rected. The space between the two former points, was 
a swampy wilderness, the ground partly frozen, and al- 
most impassable for troops or artillery. The preceding 
narrative has shown the promptness and energy with 
which general Harrison pushed forward the reinforce- 
ments. His personal exertions to reach the scene of ac- 
tion, were very great. He started from Lower Sandusky 
in a sleigh, with general Perkins, and a servant, to over- 
take the battalion under Cotgreave. "As the sleigh 
went very slow, from the roughness of the road, he took 
the horse of his servant and pushed on alone. Night 
came upon him in the midst of the swamp, which was so 
imperfectly frozen, that the horse sunk to his belly at 
every step. He had no resource but to dismount and 
lead his horse, jumping, himself, from one sod to another, 
which was solid enough to support him. When almost 
exhausted, he met one of Cotgreave's men coming back 
to look for his bayonet. The general told him, he would 
not only pardon him for the loss, but supply him with 
another, if he would assist him to get his horse through 
the swamp. By his aid the general was enabled to reach 
the camp of the battalion."* 

The gallant colonel Wood, than whom, on a question 
of this kind, there is no higher authority, says : " What 

* M'Afee. 



i 



GENERAL HARRISON. GO 

human means, in the control of general Harrison, could 
prevent the anticipated disaster, and save that corps, 
which was already looked upon as lost, as doomed to in- 
evitable destruction ? Ortainly none — because neither 
orders to halt, nor troops to succor him, could be received 
in time, or at least that was the expectation. He was 
already in motion, and general Harrison still at Upper 
Sandusky, seventy miles in his rear. The weather was 
inclement — the snow was deep — and a large portion of 
the black swamp was yet open. What could a Turenne 
or an Eugene have done, under a pressure of embarrass- 
ing circumstances, more than Harrison did?^^ 

After the action of the 18th, there were powerful rea- 
sons why general Winchester shoukl not abandon his 
position. " The protection of the French inhabitants 
was now an imperative duty. The advance to their town 
had been made at their solicitation; and when the battle 
had commenced, many of them joined the American 
forces, and fought with great gallantry ; and afterwards 
they attacked and killed the straggling Indians, wherever 
they met them. Their houses were open to our men, and 
they offered to give up the whole of the provisions, which 
yet remained to them, upon condition that they should 
not again be abandoned to the fury of the savages, or 
subjected for what they had done, to be immured in the 
prisons of Maiden. The amount of provisions to be se- 
cured was believed to be very considerable. The duty 
of protecting the faithful inhabitants, however, had been 
so strongly impressed by their conduct, on the minds of 
general Winchester and his men, that an order to retreat 
would not, perhaps, have been very promptly obeyed." 

General M'Affee, another meritorious officer of the 
late war, in referring to this disastrous action, says : 

"From the whole of the facts, which are now before 
the reader, he will be able to judge for himself, with res- 
pect to the causes of the disaster. The advance to the 
river Raisin was a very important movement; it was 
made from the best and most urgent motives ; but it is 
questionable whether it was not too hazardous and pre- 
mature. It was a rule with general Harrison, and un- 
doubtedly a very good one, never, in Indian warfare, to 



60 SKETCHES OF 

send out a detachment, unless indispensably necessary, 
and then to make it sufficiently strong to contend with 
the whole force of the enemy. The rule was peculiarly 
applicable in this instance. Frenchtown was within 
eighteen miles of Maiden, the head quarters of the ene- 
my, while it was more than double that distance from 
the Rapids, and about one hundred miles, on an average, 
from the other corps of the American army. The idea 
of reinforcing an advanced corps at that place, to sup- 
port it against any speedy movement of the enemy, was 
hence altogether chimerical. It should have been strong 
enough in the first instance, or with the reinforcements 
to be immediately sent after it from the Rapids, to main- 
tain its ground, against the whole disposable force of the 
enemy, for a week at least. And this was probably the 
case. The greatest error, judging from the information 
we possess, after the affair is over, does not appear to 
have been so much the advance of the detachment, as the 
neglect to fortify the camp. The force actually on the 
ground, if well posted and well defended by fortifica- 
tions, and amply supplied with ammunition, could cer- 
tainly have resisted such an attack as was made, until 
reinforcements had arrived. On the 21st, general Win- 
chester thus addressed general Harrison: 'All accounts 
from Brownstown and Maiden agree in stating, that the 
enemy is preparing to retake this place ; if he effects his 
purpose, he will pay dear for it. A few pieces of artil- 
lery, however, would add to our strength, and give con- 
fidence to our friends in this place.' Though possessed 
of this information, and lying so near the enemy, that 
they could march at any time in the evening, and attack 
him before day next morning, yet he suffered his men to 
go to rest that night in an open camp, in wiiich they had 
lain a whole day since his arrival at that place." 

Colonel Wood says, again: 

" Unsuspicious, and elated with this flash of success, 
the troops were permitted to select, each for himself, 
such quarters on the west side of the river, as might 
please him best; whilst the general, not liking to be a- 
mongst a parcel of noisy, dirty freemen, took his quarters 
on the east side ! not the least regard being paid to de- 



GKNKRAL IIAKUISON. 



61 



fence, order, rouularity, or system in the postintr of the 
dirtVronl corj)s." After sspfakiiin of tlio battle aiiJ mas- 
sacre, he proceeds: "thus was there a corps of otic thou- 
saiiil men, the elite of the army, totally sacrificed, in the 
most wanton manner prtssihie; and that too, without the 
slijrhtest benefit to their country or posterity. V^ ith only 
one third or one fourth of the f irce destined for that ser- 
vice ; destitute of artillery, of eiif[ineers, of men who had 
ever seen or heard the least of an enemy, and with but 
a very inadequate supply of ammunition; hovv he ever 
could h^'e entertained the most distant hope of success, 
or what rijiht he had to presume to claim it, is to me one 
of the stranijest things in the world. An adept in the 
art of war is alone authorized to deviate from the ordi- 
nary and established rules, by which that an for a great 
length of time has been usefully and successfully ap- 
plied. 

" Winchester was destitute of every means of support- 
ing his corps long at the river Raisin, was in the very 
javvs of the enemy, and beyond the reach of succor. 
He who fights with such flimsy pretensions to victory, 
will always be beaten, and eternally ought to be." 

On the 13th of February, the field and platoon officers 
of all the Kentucky reyiments, from which the detach- 
ment sent to the river Raisin, was formed, held a meet- 
ing and made the following address to general Harrison, 
It'^is dated at the Miami Rapids, and signed by R. M. 
Gano, M. D. Hardin, Patrick Gray, Thomas Morris, 
George Pugh, Joseph Redding, Thomas Story, James 
W. GillaspTe, James King, Joel Garnett, Peter Dudley, 
Thomas Brooks, R. C. Holder, Thomas Gest, S. W. 
McGowan, William Caldwell, Daniel Bowen, and Alex- 
ander Welch. They were near the scene of action, had 
every means of knowing the facts in the case, and were 
mourning over their friends, killed or massacred at the 
Raisin, when this address was made to the commander- 
in-chief: 

" Although various causes have reduced the regiments 
to which we respectively belong to a very small number, 
we had flattered ourselves, when we marched from our 
late encampment, on Portage river, to this place, that 



^ SKETCHES OF 

you would have been enabled immediately to have led 
us on, and to have given us an opportunity, under your 
immediate eye, to have avenged the injury sustained by 
our friends and our country, on the river Raisin, in the 
last month ; to have regained the ground lost, and to 
have seen and aided you in repairing the loss sustained. 
Had circumstances justified you in proceeding, we could 
rot have doubted the result under your auspices, and we 
should have remained with you, regardless of the time 
we had served, or the fatigues we had undergone, and 
uninfluenced by any pecuniary considerations. But, as 
events not within your control, seem to forbid immediate 
active operations, the time we have remained in the wil- 
derness, as the advance of the north-western army, re- 
quires our return to civilized life and to our homes. 
When permitted to return, we shall, after a service of 
six months under you, carry back to our friends and our 
country, a confirmation of those high opinions of your 
military worth, which were formed upon a first acquaint- 
ance. 

" Should circumstances again call us to the field, we 
should be highly gratified at being placed under your im- 
mediate command. In the meantime, permit us to as- 
sure you, that we entertain for you, individually, the 
highest sentiments of personal respect and esteem." 

In the month of February, the two brigades of Ohio 
militia, under Tupper and Perkins, were discharged. 
The general and field officers, on the 20th, at camp Mi- 
ami Rapids, made an address to general Harrison. We 
quote the concluding paragraph : 

" Great was the undertakingp, and numerous the obsta- 
cles which opposed your progress; a wilderness of near- 
ly one hundred and fifty miles was to be traversed, which, 
with its swamps and morasses, presented difBculties far 
greater than the Alps. Great as were these obstacles, 
relying on the willingness of your troops to endure any 
hardships, to reach the enemy, you rightly judged that 
they might be surmounted. A few weeks past, every 
circumstance united to promise you an immediate accom- 
plishment of your designs. Large supplies of provi- 
sions, and numerous munitions of war were so far ad- 



OENXRAL HARRISON. 63 

vanced as to be within your control ; your troops, with 
an vinhounded reliance on your judjrment and skill, were 
eager to be led up to the enemy, and waited but your or- 
der to march ; your exertions had been gfreat, and every 
thing promised the sullVring soldier a speedy reward for 
his toils. At this imj)ortant moment the unfortunate 
movement of general Winchester to the river Raisin, 
with its unhappy consequences, (a movement we believe 
without your orders or concurrence) broke the successful 
chain of operations, and presented new and unlooked-for 
dirticulties before you. 

" On retiring from service, sir, we are happy in assu- 
ring you of our fullest confidence, and that of our res- 
pective commands, in the measures you have taken ; they 
have been cautious, skillful, and guarded, such as would 
at this lime have carried our arms to the walls of Mai- 
den, had not the unhappy occurrences at the river Raisin 
checked your progress, and for a short time thwarted 
your plans of operation. That you may soon teach the 
enemy the distinction between an honorable and savage 
warfare, by planting our standard in the heart of their 
country, and reijain the honor and territory we have lost, 
and, as a just tribute to valor, toils and suffering, receive 
the grateful thanks of a generous and free people, is 
amonjT the first, the warmest wishes of our hearts." 

This address is sii/ned by Edward W. Tupper, Simon 
Perkins, Charles Miller, John Andrews, William Rayen, 
Robert SatTord, N. Beasley, James Galloway, Solomon 
Bentley, George Darrow, W. W. Cotgreave, and Jacob 
Frederick. 

The conclusions to which every candid mind must 
come, after a careful perusal of the preceding narrative, 
and the hiijh testimony by which it is accompanied, are 
the following: 1. That general Winchester's movement 
to the river Raisin was in violation of the orders of gen- 
eral Harrison and the plan of the campaign. 2. That 
when informed of the movement, general Harrison did 
all in his power to reinforce the detachment under Win- 
chester. 3. That after the movement had been made, 
and the battle of the 18th had occurred, it was inexpe- 
dient to abandon the place. 4. That if general Winches- 



64 SKETCHES OF 

ter had taken the necessary steps to fortify his camp, and 
arrangre his troops, the defeat of the 22nd of January 
would not, in all human probability, have taken place. 

It is due to the reputation of general Winchester, to 
add, that in this unfortunate and unauthorized movement 
to the river Raisin, he vv^as sustained, generally, by the 
officers and men of his corps. They w^ere a gallant 
band, panting for an opportunity, before their return to 
Kentucky, to meet their country's enemy : this feeling, 
with the still nobler one of protecting the women and 
children of Frenchtown, from the tomaliawk and scalp- 
ing knife, contributed to overcome the moral firmness of 
general Winchester, and led him to a disobedience of or- 
ders : the same extenuation, however, cannot be pleaded 
for his conduct, in neglecting the most ordinary precau- 
tions for the safety of his camp, when within striking 
distance of a powerful and ferocious enemy, of whose 
meditated attack he had certain intelligence. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Movements of the North-western army, after the defeat at the riv- 
er Raisin. — Establishment of Camp Meigs. — Kentucky and 
Ohio Militia discharged. — Termination of the first campaign. 
— Preparations for the next. — Colonel Morrison's opinion. — 
Siege of Fort Meigs. — Arrival of Kentucky troops under 
General Clay. — Dudley's defeat. — Brilliant sorties, 6th May. 
— Proctor's demand of a surrender. — His abandonment of 
the siege. — Gallant conduct of General Harrison. 

On the night of the 22nd of January, a council was 
called at the Rapids, by general Harrison, to determine 
whether it was probable the enemy would attack the 
camp at that place, and whether the force then in camp, 
consisting of nine hundred men, and a single piece of 
artillery, would be able to make an effectual resistance? 
The force of the enemy in the battle, was stated to be 



GENERAL HARRISON. 65 

from two to three thousand, witli six pieces of artillery, 
principally howiizers. It was decided unanimously, to 
retire a slurt distance on the road, upon which the artil- 
lery and reinforcements were approaching. This move- 
ment was deemed to be prudent, from the fact that Win- 
chester, with a larger force, had been defeated by the 
same enemy ; ami it was to be presumed that they would 
advance atjainst the position ai the Rapids, or do what was 
more to he deprecated, send tire Indians to intercept those 
entrusted in the rear, with the artillery and provisions. 
The position which had been occupied, and partially for- 
tified, at the Rapids, by <reneral Winchester, was not ca- 
pable of defence, and was situated on the wrongs side of 
the river. Any rise in the river, or the breaking up of 
the ice, would have cut olf general Harrison from his 
supplies of men and provisions; and although in such 
an event, his own rniiiforcements could not reach him, 
the Indians, at points above and below, could cross the 
river, and assail his rear. Tlie council having determin- 
ed upon the propriety of a retrograde movement, every 
military principle demanded that the provisions which 
could not be removed, should be destroyed, so as to pre- 
vent their falling into the hands of the enemy. 

General Harrison, having retired to Portage river, 
strongly fortified his camp, to wait for the artillery and a 
detachment of troops under general Leftwich. An unfor- 
tunate rain had arrested their progress twenty-five miles 
beyond this point, and general Lefiwicli did not arrive un- 
til the 30th of January, with his brigade, a reaiment of 
Pennsylvania troops, and the greater part of the artillery. 
At this period, the benevolence of general Harrison's char- 
acter was manifested in his sending Dr. McKeehan, of 
the Ohio militia, with a flag to Maiden, to ascertain the 
condition of the wounded, and to carry them a sum of 
money in gold, to procure accommodations; but the flag 
was not respected, and he was robbed of his money. 

On the first of February, general Harrison advanced 
with his whole force, amounting to seventeen hundred 
men, and encamped at the foot of the Rapids, on the 
south-east side, at the place which was called Camp 
Meigs. He still cherished the hope that the season 
5 



66 SKETCHES OF 

might so far favor his efforts as to enable him to ex- 
ecute the long contemplated expedition against Maiden; 
and for this purpose ordered up all the troops in the rear, 
except some companies left to maintain the forts on the 
Auglaize and the St. Mary's. By the 15th of February, 
he intended to advance, disperse the Indians, destroy the 
shipping, and establish a post near Brownstown, until the 
season would permit the advance of the artillery. This 
was ordinarily the period when the most intense frosts 
Tendered the lakes and swamps perfectly firm ; but the 
weather continued so rainy, that the roads were broken 
up and traveling rendered unsafe. The period for which 
the Kentucky and Ohio troops had engaged to serve, was 
about to expire, and the roads and swamps were render- 
ed almost impassable, even with a single horse. The 
balance of the troops, and the necessary supplies, had ;)ot 
arrived at the Rapids. The general was, therefore, com- 
pelled reluctantly to abandon, for this season, any further 
advance towards Maiden; thus terminating a campaign 
attended with great expense to the government, and se- 
vere hardships to the general and his men. But great as 
were the difRculties of prosecuting a winter campaign, 
in that swampy region, the industry of the general and 
the firmness of the men, would have surmounted them, 
but for the unfortunate movement to the river Raisin, and 
its disastrous results. The delay occasioned to the de- 
parture of the artillery and troops from the right wing, 
by general Winchester forwarding notice to head quar- 
ters, of his arrival at the Rapids, by the driver of the 
pack horses, led to the unfortunate defeat of Raisin ; and 
with it, the defeat of the campaign. The critical period 
when the swamps were frozen over, was not seized for 
sending up the artillery and troops, and this was not 
done, because general Harrison did not receive intelli- 
gence in due time, of the approach of Winchester. 

In taking leave of the events connected with the 
first campaign, and before entering upon the incidents 
of tlie second, we may be permitted to add a few re- 
flections. Looking at the result, it is to be regretted, 
that a winter campaign was attempted. It was com- 
menced at the precise season of the year, when the pru- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 67 

dent caution of Washinfrton and Wayne arrested the 
progrress of the army, in 1793 ; hut the orders and views 
of the war department were such, as to leave no douht 
of the solicitude of the tjovernment to recover Detroit, 
and capture Maiden, in the course of the winter. Un(l«;r 
these impressions, general Harrison made the most ener- 
getic eflbrts to he prepared with men, and suppties, and 
artillery, to avail himself of the critical period when 
the frosts should pave the roads and the lake. That this 
propitious moment would have arrived early in Fehruary, 
but for the disaster at Raisin, we have the testimony of 
colonel Morrison, a revolutionary officer, and quarter-mas- 
ter general, who, in reply to enquiries on the subject, by 
general Harrison, says:* "The plans and arrangements 
indispensable to an advance on the enemy, were so far 
consummated, at the period of general Winchester's de- 
feat, as Lo authorize a general movement. I have a per- 
fect recollection of your calling on me as quarter-master, 
a short time previous to that disaster, to know whether I 
possessed the means, and would promise to supply the 
army with provisions, on their march upon the enemy. 
On receiving an atiirmative answer, you hastened to the 
head of the centre line, and marched for the Rapids, where 
I understood you expected to meet general Winchester, 
and where a deposit of provisions, &c., was commenced 
when the defeat took place." By the plan of the cam- 
paign, and the desultory expeditions projected against 
the Indian villages, the settlements were protected, and 
the enemy ke|)t in the dark as to ulterior operations. 
General Harrison covered the frontiers more effectually, 
and advanced more rapidly to the grand result, than did 
general Wayne, whose convoys were assailed, and who 
consumed nearly two years in the necessary preparations 
for the main campaiirn. On this subject colonel Morri- 
son is equally explicit:! "The positions selected for 
protecting the frontier settlements, were universally ad- 
mitted to be judicious; and as a proof that they were so, 
it is remarkable, that during the autumn and winter of 
1812— '13, in a frontier of great extent, there was scarcely 

• Dawson, 451. f lb. 



68 SKETCHES OF 

an instance of the inhabitants beiftg molested by the 
enemy. The general arrangements for concentrating the 
troops at the Rapids of the Miami, as soon as stores and 
provisions could be procured to justify an advance, were 
such, in my opinion, as evinced a correct knowledge of 
the country and character of the enemy, and great mili- 
tary talents on the part of general Harrison." 

After the termination of the campaign, the efforts of 
general Harrison were directed to the fortifying of the 
position at the foot of the Rapids — to the arrangement of 
the remaining troops, and the accumulation of provisions 
at Camp Meigs, for the next campaign. It was neces- 
sary, however, to wait until the rise of the Auglaize and 
St. Mary's, for water conveyance, but some progress was 
made from Sandusky on the ice of the lake. Troops 
were posted on the Auglaize and St. Mary's — on Hull'3 
road, at Upper and Lower Sandusky ; but the principal 
force was concentrated at Camp Meios, the fortification 
of which was entrusted to captain Wood, of the engi- 
neers. This was the best position for the protection of 
the frontiers, and its maintenance was indispensable as 
a depot for the artillery, military stores, and provisions, 
which could not now be removed. In the latter part 
of February, general Harrison prepared an expedition, 
under captain Langham, for the purpose of proceeding 
upon the ice of the lake, to destroy the enemy's ves- 
sels at Maiden. The detachment reached Bass island, 
where, it was ascertained that the lake next to the Ca- 
nada shore, was unfortunately entirely open ; the detach- 
ment consequently returned. 

" In the month of February, a change had been made 
in the war department, general John Armstrong having 
been appointed to the important office of secretary of 
that department. This secretary having received the 
letter of general Harrison of the 11th of February, an- 
nouncing the suspension of offensive operations, in his 
reply of the 5th of March, declares his conviction of the 
necessity of that course, and proceeds in that and subse- 
quent letters to mark out the course which was intended 
to be pursued for the following campaign. The opinions 
heretofore given by general Harrison in relation to the 



GENERAL HARRISON. 09 

mode of conductinjr the war aprainst Upper Canada, were 
adopted. Captain^Perry, of the navy, was already at 
Presque Isle, preparingr the timber for the construction 
of those vessels with which he afterwards obtained such 
imperishable renown. In the letter of the secretary 
above referred to, general Harrison was informed that 
the fleet would be ready for service by the middl*^ of 
May. The land forces, which were to form his com- 
mand, were also designated ; they were to consist of the 
17th and 19th regiments, of which at that time but a 
small part had been raised; the 24th regiment, which 
was then on its march from Tennessee to join the north- 
western army, and three reoiments of twelve month's 
men lo be raised in Kentucky and Ohio. The post of 
Cleveland was fixed on as the proper place for building 
the boats which were intended to convey the troops to 
the opposite shore of Canada. It was the opinion of 
the secretary that the recruits which would be engag- 
ed for the new regiments could serve to protect the posts 
until offensive operations should commence. The ena- 
ployment of militia was not to be resorted to but after it 
was ascertained that the regular troops could not be pro- 
cured. It will be observed, that the plan of the ensu- 
ing campai'jn was precisely the one which had been re- 
conjmended by general Harrison in the letters heretofore 
quoted in this work. But the arrangements for the in- 
termediate time were not at all suited to his wishes. Re- 
ferring to the list of forces to be raised, the History of 
the War savs : With these nominal forces was the gen- 
eral required to maint;iin the north-western posts, with 
the provisions and military stores now accumulated in 
them ; and to protect the frontiers against the Indians, 
and make demonstrations aofainst INIalden. Fortunately, 
general Harrison, before he received these instructions, 
had called for reinforcements of militia from both Ken- 
tucky and Ohio ; but the whole number expected, would 
not he suificient to garrison the different posts completely. 
"In answer to these instructii)ns, the general remon- 
strated against abandoning the use of the militia, and 
leaving the frontiers in such a defenceless situation. Ho 
represented the numerous Indian tribes, residing contig. 



70 SKETCHES OF ^ 

uous to our out posts, who were either hostile, or would 
soon become so, when not overawed by an American 
army. As soon as the lake became navigable, the ene- 
my from Maiden could also make a descent with the ut- 
most facility on Fort Meigs, the important deposit of 
the artillery and military stores, from which they could 
not be removed through the swamps, and to which it 
was necessary to carry on the high waters in the spring, 
the immense supplies deposited on the Auglaize and St. 
Mary's. The works at the Rapids had been constructed 
for a force of two thousand men ; for the general had 
thought it necessary to maintain a force at that place, 
which would be able to contend in the field with all the 
disposable force of the enemy, in order to prevent him 
from getting into its rear, and destroying the weaker posts 
which more immediately protected the frontiers. The 
government was assured, that the regular force on which 
they relied, could not be raised in time, even for the inten- 
ded expedition ; and that as large supplies were not 
prepared at points where they could be transported by 
water, the surest plan would be to march a large militia 
force, which not beinor delayed and dispirited for the want 
of supplies, would behave well, and efTectUrilly accom- 
plish the objects of the campaign. The probability that 
the force on which the government relied, would be too 
small to effect its object, was represented as a great ob- 
stacle in the way of the recruiting service, which at best 
was found to be very tedious. 

" In the following extract from a letter of general Har- 
rison to governor Shelby, the general expressed himself 
more explicitly on this subject. ' My sentiments upon 
the subject of the force necessary for the prosecution of 
the war, are precisely similar to yours. It will increase 
your surprise and regret, when I inform you that last 
night's mail bmnght me a letter from the secretary of 
war, in which I am restricted to the employment of the 
regular troops raised in this state to reinforce the post at 
the Rapids. There are scattered through this stale, about 
one hundred and forty recruits of the 19th regiment, and 
with these I am to supply the place of the two brigades 
from Pennsylvania and Virginia, whose term of service 



GENERAL HARRISON. 71 

will now be daily rxpirinfr. IJy a letter from governor 
Mejors, I am informed, tliat tlie spcretary of war disap- 
proved the call for inililia, which 1 had made on thin state 
and Kentucky, and was on tlie point of counternian'lin^ 
the orders. I will just mention one fact, which will 
show the consequences of such a countermand. There 
are upon the Auijlaizo and St. Mary's rivers eiirht forts, 
which contain within their walls properly to tl)e amount 
of half a million of dollars from actual cost, and worth 
now to the United States four times that sum. The 
whole force which would have charg-e of all these forts 
and properly, would have amounted to less than twenty 
invalid soldiers.' "* 

Colonels McArthur and Cass were appointed bri^- 
dier generals to command the troops destined to form the 
north-western army, and crovernor Howard was appoint- 
ed a brifjadier to he assigned to the command of the In- 
diana, Illinois, and Missouri territories. The expedition 
under captain Lantiham having satisfied general Harri- 
son that the enemy would not attack Fort Meigs until 
the opening of the lake, in the spring, he placed general 
Leftwich, of the Virginia brigade, in command of Fort 
Meigs, and proceeded to the interior to promote the re- 
cruiting service, to visit his family, then suffering under 
severe disease, and to hasten the movements of the mili- 
tia from Kentucky, detached to supply the place of the 
Virginia and Pennsylvania troops, whose period of ser- 
vice was about t© expire. As he had anticipated, he re- 
ceived intelligence on the 30th of March, that the lake 
would soon be open — at the same time he learned that 
the militia would leave at the expiration of their service, 
and that the enemy had captured two of our men near the 
fort. He sent expresses to urge on the militia from Ken- 
tucky. Major Johnson, with three companies of the Ker>- 
tucky militia, having arrived, they were mounted on pack- 
horses, and proceeded with all possible expedition. The 
squadron of colonel Ball was, also, ordered to repair to 
Fort Meigs, where the men could act as infantry. The 
general hastened to Fort Amanda, on the Auglaize, and 

• Dawson and M'Alfee. 



72 SKETCHES OF 

being joined at that place by colonel Miller with the 
regulars from Chillicoche, embarked with them and one 
hundred and fifty Ohio militia, under colonel Mills. In 
the event of the fort being besieged, it was his intention 
to attack the British batteries in the same way in which 
he afterwards directed it to be done by colonel Dudley. 
The general was received in the fort with great joy on 
the 12th of April, and found that the Virginia general and 
troops had gone, but that two hundred and thirty of the 
Pennsylvania line had volunteered to remain until the ar- 
rival of the expected reinforcements. As soon as major 
Ball and major Johnson arrived, the Pennsylvania troops 
were honorably discharged. After the departure of gen- 
erals Leftwich and Crooks, the command had devolved 
on major Stoddard, of the United States artillery, whose 
force consisted of the remaining Pennsylvanians, a bat- 
talion of twelve month's volunteers under major Alexan- 
der, a company of artillerists, and small fragments of the 
17th and 19th regiments of infantry, amounting in all to 
five hundred men. 

Early in April intelligence had been received at the 
fort, of the designs of the enemy. General Proctor was 
embodying the Canadian militia, and Tecumthe had join- 
ed him with six hundred warriors from the Wabash. As 
soon as the enemy was discovered approaching in force, 
on the 28th of April, general Harrison dispatched captain 
William Oliver, the field commissary of the army, to 
communicate with general Clay, commanding the Ken- 
tucky reinforcements, who were presumed to be ap- 
proaching by the Auglaize. This duty required the agent 
to possess an intimate knowledge of the country, and 
an intrepidity and firmness peculiar to Indian warfare. 
These qualities were conspicuous in captain Oliver, and 
the selection was creditable to the discernment of gene- 
ral Harrison. 

Captain Oliver was accompanied by one Indian and 
one white man, and performed the duty assigned to him 
with signal success. He found general Clay at Fort 
Winchester, to whom he communicated the fact of the 
investment of Fort Meigs, and the urgent importance of 
forwarding the reinforcement with all practical dispatch. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 73 

As soon as captain Oliver had loft the fort, it was in- 
vested by the enemy. On the next inoriiinp:, the <reneral 
issued a general order, from which the followinir is an 
extract: 

" Can the citizens of a free country, who have taken 
arms to defend its rights, think of subniitting to an army 
composed of niercenary soldiers, reluctant Canadians 
goaded to the field by the bayonet, and of wretched, na- 
ked savaires 1 Can the breast of an American soldier, 
when he casts his eyes to the opposite shore, the scene 
of his country's triumphs over tlie same foe, be influ- 
enced by any other feelings than the hope of glory ? Is 
not this army com()osed of the same materials vi'ith that 
which fought and conquered under the immortal Wayne? 
Yes, fellow-soldiers, your general sees your countenan- 
ces beam with the same fire, that he witnessed on that 
glorious occasion ; and although it would be the height 
of presumption to compare himself to that hero, he boasts 
of being that hero's pupil. To your posts then, fellow- 
citizens, and remember that the eyes of your country are 
upon you."* 

The enemy erected their batteries on the north-west 
side of the river, and encamped with their main body at 
Old Fort Miami, two miles below. The Indians were 
thrown across the river and invested the fort on that side. 
The erection of the necessary defences in Fort Meigs, 
was confided to captain Wood, of the engineers : captain 
Gratiot of that corps being too unwell for constant duty. 
Whilst the British were preparing their batteries, the In- 
dians annoyed the garrison by climbing the trees, several 
hundred yards distant from the fort, and were enabled to 
do some mischief. Speaking on this subject, captain, 
afterwards colonel, Wood, humorously observes : " their 
ethereal annoyance, however, proved a great stimulus to 
the militia; for although lliey did their duty with alac- 
rity and promptitude, yet their motions were nmch accel- 
erated by it — and let who will make the experiment, it 
will be invariably found, that the movements of militia 
will be quickened by a brisk fire of musketry about their 

» M' A flee, 259. 



f€ SKETCHES OF 

ears."* Colonel Wood adds : " on the morning of the 
1st of May, it was discovered that the British batteries 
were completed ; and about ten o'clock they appeared to 
be loading, and adjusting their guns on certain objects in 
the camp. By this time our troops had completed a 
grand traverse, about twelve feet high, upon a base of 
twenty feet, three hundred yards long, on the most ele- 
vated ground through the middle of the camp, calculated 
to ward off the shot of the enemy's batteries. Orders 
were given for all the tents in front to be instantly re- 
moved into its rear, which was effected in a few minutes, 
and that beautiful prospect of cannonading and bom- 
barding our lines, which but a moment before had exci- 
ted the skill and energy of the British engineer, was now 
entirely fled, and in its place nothing was to be seen but 
an immense shield of earth, which entirely obscured the 
whole army. Not a tent nor a single person was to be 
seen. Those canvass houses, which had concealed the 
growth of the traverse from the view of the enemy, were 
now protected and hid in their turn. The prospect of 
smoking us out, was now at best but very faint. But as 
neither general Proctor nor his officers were yet convin- 
ced of the folly and futility of their laborious prepara- 
tions, their batteries were opened, and five days were 
spent in arduous cannonading and bombarding to bring 
them to this salutary conviction. A tremendous cannon- 
ade was kept up all the rest of the day, and shells were 
thrown till eleven o'clock at night. Very little damage, 
however, was done in the camp ; one or two were killed 
and three or four wounded — among the latter was major 
Amos Stoddard of the 1st regiment of artillery — a revo- 
lutionary character, and an officer of much merit. He 
was wounded slightly with a piece of shell, and about 
ten days afterwards died with the lock-jaw. 

" The fire of the enemy was returned from the fort with 
our eighteen pounders with some effect, though but spa- 
ringly — for the stock of eighteen pound shot was but 
small, there being but three hundred and sixty of that 
size in the fort when the siege commenced, and about 

* M'Affee, 261. 



I 



GENERAL HARRISON. 75 



Ihe same number for the twelve pounders. A proper 
supply ot this article had not been sent with the artill(;ry 
from IMttsburcrh. The battery of the enemy supi)lied U3 
with twelve pound shot; but they had no ei^bteens, all 
their large oruns bein^r twenty-fours. On the second day 
they opened their fire a^ain with {ireat fury, and contin- 
ued it all day, but without any better etfect. With a 
plenty of ammunition, wc should have been able to have 
blown John Bull almost from the Miami. It was ex- 
tremely diverting to see with what pleasure and delight 
the Indians would yell, whenever in their opinion con- 
siderable damage was done in the camp by the burst- 
ing of a shell. Their hanging about the camp, and oc- 
casionally coming pretty near, kept our lines almost 
constantly in a blaze of fire; for nothing can please a 
Kentuckian better than to get a shot at an Indian — and 
he nmst be indulsfcd."* 

The enemy had transferred some of his guns to the 
south side of the river, and opened batteries upon the 
right flank of the camp. Kvery journal which was kept 
of the events in that memorable siege, speaks of the en- 
ergy, skill, and coolness which n»arked the conduct of 
the commanding general. The first cannon ball fired by 
the enemy, struck the general's tent. Captain IMcCul- 
lough, of the Ohio troops, was killed whilst conversing 
with him, and upon another occasion, he was struck on 
the hip by a spent ball, which is always known to pro- 
duce the greatest pain. Measures were taken to prevent 
a surprise, and specific instructions given to the com- 
manding ofiicers to meet that contingency. General Har- 
rison awaited with the most anxious solicitude to receive 
intelligence of the approach of general Clay, with a re- 
inforcement of twelve hundred men. Late on the night 
of the 4th, captain Oliver and major D. Trimble, with a 
few men, arrived in a skiff, having left general Clay above 
the Rapids, who had instructed them to inform the gen- 
eral that he would arrive by 4 o'clock in the morning. 
The arrival of this strong reinforcement was embraced 
by general Harrison, as the occasion for carrying into ef- 

• M'Affee, 263. 



i 



76 SKETCHES OF 

feet the sorties previously planned, and which have ren- 
dered the defence of Fort Meigs so memorable m the 
history of the war. 

Captain Hamilton, of the Ohio militia, was immedi- 
ately dispatched to general Clay, to direct him to detach 
eisfht hundred men on the left bank of the river, about a 
mile above the fort. This detachment, with Hamilton 
as its guide, was then to be marched "to the British bat- 
teries, carry them, spike the cannon, cut down the car- 
riages, and then return to their boats and cross over to 
the fort." The residue of the brigade was to be landed 
on the right bank of the river, and conducted by the sub- 
altern, who went with Hamilton to the fort. It was the 
design of the general to cause sorties to be made against 
the enemy on the south-east side of the river, simultane- 
ously with that by the detachment from general Clay, 
under colonel Dudley, on the opposite shore. For this 
purpose, a detachment was prepared and placed under 
the direction of colonel Miller, of the 19th United States 
infantry, to consist of two hundred and fifty of the 17th 
and 19th regiments, one hundred twelve month's volun- 
teers, and captain Sebree's company of Kentucky militia. 
These troops were drawn up in a ravine, under the east 
curtain of the fort, out of reach of the enemy's fire, to 
await further orders. In the meantime, general Clay 
had been detained by the difficulty of passing the Rapids 
in the night. Captain Hamilton reached him at eight 
o'clock, and colonel Dudley was detached with eight 
hundred men to attack the batteries on the north side of 
the river. General Clay, with Boswell's regiment, suc- 
ceeded, after some skirmishing with the Indians, in ef- 
fecting his entrance into the fort. These troops, with 
Nearing's company of regulars, and the battalion of vol- 
unteers under major Alexander, vi^ere employed immedi- 
ately in driving off a large body of Indians, who had ap- 
proached within one hundred and fifty yards of the fort. 
This duty was executed with gallantry, under the imme- 
diate eye and direction of the commanding general, who, 
from his position, discovered a body of British troops 
passing from the batteries to the east of the fort, to the 
aid of their allies, thus exposing the rear of the detach- 



GENERAL HAKKISON. 77 

ment. An order for imnirdiate retreat was sent by his 
aid, John .1. Juhnson, but bis iiorse heiny^ i\illcd uiidir 
him bi't'ore its di'livery, the intolli;L;euce watj conveyed 
by another aid, major Graliam. 

Just as this allair terminated, the troops in the fort 
were cheered by the shouts ol' the Kentuckians in charg- 
ing the batteries on tiie opjiosite shore. At tliis point 
every phm was successfully carried into etfect, and no- 
thing' prevented the detachments from returning under tiie 
bank to their boats and crossinjr over to the fort, but that 
the men unfortunately sulfered themselves to be drawn 
into the woods by the fire of scattering Indians, until a 
reinforcement of British troops from the old fort, gained 
their rear, and killed or captured nearly all of them. 
About fifty were slain, five hundred and fifty captured, 
and one liundred and filly escaped to their boats, and 
crossed in satety to the fort. After the fall of colonel 
Dudley, the conimand devolved on major Shelby. As 
soon as it was seen that the attack by Dudley had indu- 
ced the enemy to send reinfurcemenls iVorn the east side, 
the general directed the detachment under colonel Mil- 
ler, to advance from the ravine. The I3riiish batteries 
at this ])oint were protected by a company of British 
grenadiers ; another uf light infantry, two hundred strong ; 
these were flanked by two hundred Canadian militia, and 
by o«e thousand Indians under Tecumthe. The detach- 
ment advanced with loaded but trailed arms, and in a 
few moments the batteries, two officers and fifty regular 
troops were taken ; and when we regard the disparity of 
force, the advantageous position ot the enemy, and the 
dreadful execution in so few minutes, it is but justice to 
this gallant corps, to speak of it as having acquired equal 
honor with that of any other detachment during the war. 
In the progress of the severe battle fought by this de- 
tachment, captain Sebree's company sustained them- 
selves against four times their number, until relieved by 
the gallantry of a company of regulars, under lieutenant 
Gwynne.* The return of this detachment to the fort, 
terminated the battles of the day, and immediately gene- 

* Major Uavid Gwynne. 



78 SKETCHES OF 

ral Proctor sent major Chambers with a flag of truco, 
and upon his introduction to general Harrison, the fol- 
lowing conversation took place : 

'•'• 3Iajor Chambers. — General Proctor has directed me 
to demand the surrender of this post. He wishes to 
spare the effusion of blood. 

" General Harrison. — The demand, under present cir- 
cumstances, is a most extraordinary one. As general 
Proctor did not send me a summons to surrender on his 
first arrival, I had supposed that he believed me deter- 
mined to do my duty. His present message indicates 
an opinion of me that I am at a loss to account for. 

" Major Chambers. — General Proctor could never think 
of saying any thing to wound your feelings, sir. The 
character of general Harrison, as an officer, is well known. 
General Proctor's force is very respectable, and there is 
with him a larger body of Indians than has ever before 
been embodied. 

" General Harrison. — I believe I have a very correct 
idea of general Proctor's force : it is not such as to cre- 
ate the least apprehension for the result of the contest, 
whatever shape he may be pleased hereafter to give to 
it. Assure the general, however, that he will never have 
this post surrendered to him upon any terms. Should it 
fall into his hands, it will be in a manner calculated to 
do him more honor, and to give him larger claims upon 
the gratitude of his government, than any capitulation 
could possibly do." 

The total amount of our killed and wounded on the 
south-east side was two hundred and seventy, of whom 
eighty-one were killed — sixty-four of these being slain in 
the sorties, and one hundred and twenty-four wounded ; 
the remainder, eighty-one, killed and wounded within 
the fortified camp. 

"In the general order which was published on the 9th, 
the commander mentions with the highest approbation the 
conduct of the troops in general, and gives them his 
thanks, as he does the following officers by name, viz : 
Wood and Gratiot, of the engineers; captains Gushing 
and Hall, of the artillery ; colonel Miller and major Todd, 
of the 19th infantry; major Ball, of the United States 



GENERAL HARRISON. 79 

dragoons;* colonel Mills, and majors Lodwick and Rit- 
zer, of the Ohio miliiia; majr)r .lolinson ol" the Kentucky 
militia; captains Cro<rhan, IJradlurd, Langham, Elliott, 
and Nearintr; lieutenants Campbell, Gwynne, Kercheval, 
Lee, and Kees ; ensigns Sliip, Hawkins, Harrison, Mit- 
chel, and Stockton, of the United .States infantry; to 
brigadier general Clay, colonel Bosvvell, and major 
Fletcher, and the captains Dudley, Simmons, and Met- 
calf, of Clay's brigade. Adjutant Brown, Mr. Peters, 
conductor of artillery, and to Serjeants Timberlake, Hen- 
derson, James, and Meld rum, and Mr. Lion, principal 
artificer; to the Petersburgh and Pittsburgh volunteers, 
captain Sebree and i\is company of Kentucky militia; 
also to major Hukill. acting ins|)ector general ; lieutenant 
O'Fallon, acting deputy adjutant general, and to his aids- 
de-camp, major Graham and John J. Johnson, Esq. 

" Upon the subject of colonel Dudley's misfortune, the 
author of the History of the War in the West, thus ex- 
presses himself: "the defeat of colonel Dudley very na- 
turally became the subject of much speculation in Ken- 
tucky; and a considerable diversity of opinion existed, 
respecting the causes of the disaster and the actors con- 
cerned in it. The subject, however, appears very plain. 
Those who were in the defeat, commonly attributed it, 
very justly, to their own imprudence and zeal, which 
were not properly controlled, and directed by the orders 
and example of their leader. There was nothing diffi- 
cult or iiazardous in the enterprise — the whole misfor- 
tune resulted from the imprudent manner of its execu- 
tion. The batteries were easily taken, and the retreat 
was perfectly secure; but the detachment wanted a head 
to direct and restrain its Kentucky impetuosity to its 
proper object." 

The following judicious observations are made in 

* By inadvertence, a verj' gallant portion of Ball's squadron 
was not noticed in this general order. It should have included 
captain Garrard, lieutenants Badey, Hickman, and McClana- 
han, and cornet Thornton, commanding a troop of twelve 
month's volunteers, from Bourbon county, Kentucky. This 
corps merited and received, on other occasions, the thanks of the 
commanding general. 



80 SKETCHES OF 

M'AfFee's History : " it was fortunate for the American 
cause, that the enterprise of jfeneral Proctor against Fort 
Meigs was delayed so long. Had he been ready to sail 
as soon as the lake became navigable, and so timed his 
movements as to arrive at the fort durinop the first week 
in April, immediately after the last militia of the winter 
campaign were discharged, and before general Harrison 
arrived with reinforcements, he must have succeeded 
against that post. The garrison was then left very 
weak, being considerably less than five hundred effec- 
tives. The works, too, were then very incomplete, and 
entirely too large for that number, as the fortified camp 
included seven or eight acres of ground. The place was 
still with propriety denominated camp Meigs, more fre- 
quently than it was styled a fort. Its capture would 
have been a most serious loss, as it contained nearly all 
the artillery and military stores of the north-western 
army, beside a large amount of provisions. General 
Harrison repeatedly in the winter, pressed on the atten- 
tion of the government, the necessity of preparing a force 
to take the place of the militia then in service; but in- 
stead of doing this, we have seen that the new secretary, 
at the critical moment when the last of those troops were 
disbanded, restricted general Harrison to the use of reg- 
ulars, which were still to be levied in a country, where 
it is almost impossible to raise a regiment of regulars 
through the whole year. Without the aid of the Ohio 
and Kentucky militia, which the general called into ser- 
vice without the authority, and contrary to the views of 
the war department, it is highly probable that the impor- 
tant post at the Rapids would have been lost." 

In the message of the president of the United States, 
to congress, at their subsequent session, he says, " the 
issue of the late siege at Fort Meigs, leaves us nothing 
to regret but a single act of inconsiderate valor." 



GENERAL HARRISON. 81 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Council witli friomlly Intlians. — Koported investment of Fort 
Meips. — iSecoiid siege of Fort Meigs. — Attack on Fort Sto- 
|»lu'nson. — Croghau's letter. — -Statement of the general, staff, 
and field ollicers, about the attack on Fort Stephenson. — 
Ohio Militia at Grand Cani[). — Preparations for crossing 
tlie lake. — Perry's victory. — Army reaches Maiden. — Proctor 
pursued. — Council at Sandwich. — Shelby, Cass, and Perry's 
letters. 

While at Franklinton, in June, general Harrison held 
a council with the chiefs of the friendly Indians, of the 
Delaware, JShawanese, Wyandot, and Seneca tribes, in 
which he stated to them that the time had arrived for all 
those who were willing to engage in the war, "to lake a 
decided statid for or ajjainsi the United States," — that 
the 'president wished no false friends — that the proposal 
of Proctor to exchange the Kentucky militia for the 
tribes in our friendship, indicated that he had received 
some hint of their willingness to take up the tomahawk 
against us ; and that to give the United States a proof 
of their good disposition, they must remove with their 
families into the interior, or the warriors must ac- 
company him in the ensuing campaign, and fight for 
the United States. To the latter condition the chiefs 
and warriors unanimously agreed; and said they had 
long been anxious for an invitation to fight for the Amer- 
icans. Tarhe, the oldest Indian in the western country, 
who represented all tlie tribes, professed in their name 
the most indissoluble friendship for the United States. 
General Harrison then told them he would let them know 
when they would be wanted in the service ; " but you 
must conform to our mode of warfare. You are not to kill 
defenceless prisoners, old men, women or children." He 
added, that by their conduct he would be able to tell, 
whether the British could restrain the Indians from such 
horrible cruelty. For if the Indians fighting with him, 
would forbear such conduct, it would prove, that the 
6 



82 SKETCHES OF 

British could also restrain theirs if they wished to do it. 
He humorously told them he had been informed that 
general Proctor had promised to deliver him into the 
hands of Tecumthe, if he succeeded against Fort Meigs, 
to be treated as that warrior might think proper.* — 
" Now if I can succeed in taking Proctor, you shall have 
him for your prisoner, provided you will agree to treat 
him as a squaw, and only put petticoats upon him ; for he 
must be a coward who would kill a defenceless pris- 
oner."! 

In the month of June, while at Franklinton, general 
Harrison was informed that Fort Meigs was again invest- 
ed. Although he doubted the intention of the enemy to 
attack that place, at this time, he promptly started a re- 
inforcement to its relief, and on the 28th reached there in 
person. It proved to be a false alarm, and the general 
returned to Lower Sandusky, on the 1st of July, and on 
the following day, set off for Cleveland, on business con- 
nected with the public stores, and the building of boats 
for transporting the army across the lake. On the 23rd, 
a body of eight hundred Indians were seen to pass Fort 
Meigs, for the purpose, it was supposed, of attacking 
Fort Winchester. Two days afterwards, the British and 
Indians apj)eared in great numbers, before Fort Meigs, 
then commanded by general Clay. In the meantime, 
captain Oliver, accompanied by c<aptain McCune, was 
sent to apprise the commander-in-chief of the fact ; and 
reached him at Lower Sandusky, with certain informa- 

* We find the following note in Dawson, on this subject : — 
'' There is no doubt that when Proctor made the arrangement 
for the attack on Fort Meigs with Tecumthe, the latter insisted, 
and the former agreed, that general Hanison, and all who fought 
at Tippecanoe, should be given up to the Indians to be burned. 
Major Ball of the dragoons ascertained this fact from the priso- 
ners, deserters, and Indians, all of whom agreed to its truth." 

On the supposition that this statement be true, it proves that 
'J'ecumthe meditated the violation of the agreement he made 
with general Harrison, at Vincennes, in 1810, that in the event 
of a war, prisoners, and women md children, should be pro- 
tected. On no other occasion is he known to have departed- 
from the spirit of his engagement. j-M'Afce. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 83 

tion that the united force of the enemy, principally In- 
dians, was not less than five tlioxisand — a greater number 
than had ever before assembled on any occasion during 
the war. General Harrison, with remarkable accuracy 
of judtrment, as the result proved, came to the conclu- 
sion, that this investment of Fort Meigs was a feint, 
made by the enemy, to call his attention to that place, 
while Lower JSandusky or Cleveland, was really the 
point on which the next attack would be made. He im- 
mediately removed his head quarters to Seneca, nine 
miles above Lower Sandusky. From this place he could 
fall back and protect Upper Sandusky, or pass by a se- 
cret route, to the relief of Fort Meigs — two points to be 
defended, — Lower Sandusky being comparatively of lit- 
tle importance. Major Croghan was left at Lower San- 
dusky, with one hundred and sixty regulars, for the de- 
fence of Fort Stephenson. There were about six hun- 
dred troops at Seneca — a force too small to advance upon 
Fort Meigs. Captain McCune was sent back to general 
Clay, with the information, that as early as the comman- 
der-in-chief could collect a sufficient number of troops, 
he would relieve the fort. The day after the return of 
the express, the enemy raised the siege. As had been 
anticipated by general Harrison, the British sailed round 
into Sandusky bay, while the Indians marched across the 
swamps of Portage river, to aid in the projected attack 
on Lower Sandusky. 

As early as the 21st of April, of this year, general 
Harrison, in a letter to the secretary of war, in speaking 
of the ulterior operations of the campaign, remarked : "I 
shall cause the movements of the enemy to be narrowly 
watched; but in the event of their landing at Lower 
Sandusky, that post cannot he saved. I will direct it in 
such an event, to be evacuated. The stores there are 
not of much consequence, excepting about five hundred 
stand of arms, which I will cause to be removed as soon 
as the roads are practicable, — at present it is impossible." 
These arms were subsequently removed. Just before 
the express from Fort Meigs reached general Harrison, 
he, in company with major Croghan and other officers, 
had examined Fort Stephenson, and concluded that it 



84 SKETCHES OF 

could not be defended against heavy artillery ; and, if Uie 
British should approach it by water, — which would raise 
a presumption, that they had brought their heavy artil- 
lery — the fort must be abandoned and burnt, provided a 
retreat could be eifected with safety. In the orders left 
with major Croghan, it was stated: " Should the British 
troops approach you in force with cannon, and you can 
discover them in time to effect a retreat, you will do so 
immediately, destroying all the public stores.* You 
must be aware, that the attempt to retreat in the face of 
an Indian force, would be vain. Against such an enemy 
your garrison would be safe, however great the number." 
On the 29th, general Harrison was informed that the 
siege of Fort Meigs had been abandoned. The scouts 
sent out by him, reported that from the indications, they 
believed an attack was meditated by the Indians, then 
lying in numbers on the south side of Fort Meigs, upon 
Upper Sandusky. Upon this information, a council of 
war was called, composed of Mc Arthur, Cass, Ball, Paul, 
Wood, Hukill, Holmes and Graham, who were unani- 
mously of opinion, that as Fort Stephenson was untena- 
ble against heavy artillery, and as it was relatively an 
unimportant post, that the garrison should not be rein- 
forced, but withdrawn, and the place destroyed. The 
following order was forthwith sent to major Croghan : — 
"Sir: Immediately on receiving this letter, you will 
abandon Fort Stephenson, set fire to it, and repair with 
your command this night to head quarters. Cross the 
river, and come up on the other side. If you should find 
or deem it in)practicable to make good your march to this 
place, take the road to Huron, and pursue it with the ut- 
most circumspection and dispatch." The bearer of this 
dispatch losing his way, it did not reach major Croghan 
until eleven o'clock of the next day. The major was 
then of opinion that he could not retreat with safety, as 
the Indians M'ere around the fort, in considerable num- 
bers. A majority of his officers concurred in the opinion 
that to retreat was unsafe, and that the post could be 

* The amount of stores at this place was inconsiderable ; 
every thing valuable had been previously removed. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 86 

maintained until at least further instructions were receiv- 
ed from head quarters. The major, therefore, promptly 
returned the following answer: "Sir: I have just re- 
ceived yours of yesterday, ten o'clock, P. INI., ordering 
me to destroy this place, and make good my retreat, 
which was received too late to be carried into execution. 
We have determined to maintain this place, and, by 
heavens, we can." The strong lanjruajre of this note 
was used on the supposition that it miglit fall into the 
hands of the enemy. It reached the general on the same 
day, who, not fully understanding the motives under 
which it was written, sent colonel Wells next morning, 
escorted by colonel Ball, and a detachment of dragoons, 
with the following order : 

July 30th, 1813. 
**Sir: — The general has just received your letter of 
this date, informing him that you had thought proper to 
disobey the order issued from this office, and delivered 
to you this morning. It appears that the information 
which dictated the order was incorrect; and as you did 
not receive it in the night, as was expected, it might have 
been proper that you should have reported tiie circum- 
stance and your situation, before you proceeded to its ex- 
ecution. This might have been passed over; but I am 
directed to say to you, that an ofiRcer who presumes to 
aver, that he has made his resolution, and that he will 
act in direct opposition to the orders of his general, 
can no longer be entrusted with a separate command. 
Colonel Wells is sent to relieve you. You will deliver 
the command to him, and repair with colonel Ball's 
squadron to this place. By command, &c. 

"A. H. Holmes, Jlss't. Adjutant General. 

In passing down, the dragoons met with a party of 
fourteen Indians, and killed twelve of them. When 
major Croghan reached head quarters, he explained to 
the general his motives in writing the note, which were 
deemed satisfactory. In Ihe meantime, the scouts had 
reported to general Harrison that the Indians had not 
gone in the direction of Upper Sandusky. Upon receiv- 



51 



86 SKETCHES OF 

ing this information, major Croghan was directed to re- 
sume his post, with written instructions of the same 
import as had been previously given. 

On the evening of the 31st of July, some scouts sent 
out by general Harrison, discovered the British within 
twenty miles of Fort Stephenson, approaching the place 
by water. It was after twelve o'clock, however, on the 
next day, August 1st, before these scouts, in returning 
to Seneca, by Lower Sandusky, communicated this in- 
formation to major Croghan, and in a few hours after- 
wards the fort was actually invested by the British and 
Indians. A flag was now sent I'rom the enemy demand- 
ing a surrender. The messenger was informed that the 
commandant and fjarrison were determined to defend it 
to the last extremity. The attack was promptly com- 
menced, and gallantly sustained. The result was gJo- 
Tious to the American arms, and covered the gallant Cro- 
ghan and his officers and men, with honor. Only one 
man was killed, and but seven wounded, belonging to 
the garrison. The loss of the enemy was not less than 
one hundred and fifty in killed and wounded. 

General Harrison, when informed of the attack on 
Fort Stephenson, paused before moving to its relief. He 
"was hourly expecting considerable reinforcements from 
the interior, but had not with him at Seneca, a disposable 
force of more than eisfht hundred men, the fifth of whom 
were cavalry, who, in the thick woods extending t?ne 
greater part of the way, between that place and Lower 
Sandusky, would have been of little use. The remain- 
der of these eight hundred men were raw recruits. To 
have marched upon an enemy, several thousand strong, 
with such a force, would, in all human probability, have 
resulted in its total destruction. Again, in moving to 
Fort Stephenson, he must necessarily leave the camp at 
Seneca with one hundred and fift_v sick soldiers in it, ex- 
posed to the Indian tomahawk; while Upper Sandusky, 
at which were ten thousand barrels of flour, besides other 
supplies of public stores, indispensable for the main ob- 
jects of the compaign, was equally liable to be attacked 
and destroyed by Tecumthe, who. with two thousand 



1 



GENERAL HARRISON. 87 

warriors, was then lying in the swamp, between that 
point and Fort Mei^s, ready to strike U|)oii cilhtT Seneca 
or Upper Sandusky, in th€ event of general Harrison's 
moving to Fort Stephenson. Under these circumstances, 
he was bound by every military principle, to ntain that 
position in which he could, with the most certainty, ac- 
complish the best results. He therefore determined to 
wait, for a time, at least, the progress of events, hoping 
tliat reinforcements would arrive before the fort could be 
reduced. On the night of the 2nd, he was informed that 
the enemy was retreating, and early next morning, having 
in the night been rtMnforced by three lumdred Ohio mi- 
litia, he set out for the fort attended by the dragoons, and 
directing the remainder of the disposable force to follow 
under generals Cass and INIcArthur. ITpon reachini; the 
fort, the general was told by a wounded sergeant of the 
British troops, that Tecumthe was in the swamp, south 
of Fort Meigs, ready to strike at Upper Sandusky, on 
the first opportunity. This information, corroborative nf 
what lie had before heard, induced the commander-in- 
chief to direct general INlcArthur, who had not yet reach- 
ed the fort, to return to Seneca with all possible dispatch. 

In his official report of this affair, general Harrison 
said : " It will not be among the least of general Proc- 
tor's moTtificati'?ns to find that he has been baffled by a 
youth, who has just passed his twenty-first year. He is, 
however, a hero worthy of his gallant uncle, George R. 
Clark." The president immediately conferred the brevet 
rank of lieutenant-colonel, on major Croghan. 

Shortly afterwards an attack was made in some public 
prints upon the conduct of general Harrison, in regard 
to the defence of Fort Stephenson. Major Croghan 
promptly replied to it, by forwardingr to a newspaper in 
Cinciimati, a communication, under date of Lower San- 
dusky, August 27th, 1812, in which he gives the reason 
already stated, for disobeying general Harrison's order 
to destroy the fort, and retreat to Seneca, and says : 

" I have with much regret seen in some of the public 
prints, such misrepresentations respecting my refusal to 
evacuate this post, as are calculated not only to injure 
me in the estimation of military men, but also to excite 



88 SKETCHES OF 

unfavorable impressions as to the propriety of general 
Harrison's conduct relative to this atfair. 

" His character as a military man is too well establish- 
ed to need my approbation or support. But his public 
services entitle him at least to common justice. This af- 
fair does not furnish cause of reproach. If public opin- 
ion has been lately misled respecting his late conduct, it 
will require but a moment's cool, dispassionate reflec- 
tion, to convince them of its propriety. The measures 
recently adopted by him, so far from deserving censure, 
are the clearest proofs of his keen penetration, and able 
generalship." 

The letter concludes with the following paragraphs, 
alike honorable to the soldier and the gentleman : 

" It would be insincere to say that I am not flattered 
by the many handsome things which have been said 
about the defence which was made by the troops under 
my command ; but I desire no plaudits which are bestow- 
ed upon me, at the expense of general Harrison. 

" I have at all times enjoyed his confidence so far as 
my rank in the army entitled me to it. And on proper 
occasions received his marked attention. I have felt the 
warmest attachment for him as a man, and my confidence 
in him as an able commander remains unshaken. I feel 
every assurance that he will at all times do me ample 
justice ; and nothing could give me more pain than to 
see his enemies seize upon this occasion to deal out their 
unfriendly feelings and acrimonious dislike — and as long 
as he continues (as in my humble opinion he has hith- 
erto done) to make the wisest arrangements and most ju- 
dicious disposition, which the forces under his command 
will justify, I shall not hesitate to unite with the army 
in bestowing upon him that confidence which he so richly 
merits, and which has on no occasion been withheld." 

About the same time, the following article was pub- 
lished in one of the public prints of Cincinnati : 

" Lower Seneca Town, August 29th, 1813. 
"The undersigned, being the general, field, and staff, 
officers, with that portion of the north-western army 
under the immediate command of general Harrison, have 



y 



GENERAL HARRISON. 89 

observed with reg^ret and surprise, that cliarrrpR, ns 
improper in the form, as in the suhstniice, have h^en 
made against the conduct of jji'iieral Harrison dikrimr 
the recent investment of Lower Nandusk}'. At anotlier 
time, and under ordinary circumstancis, we should deem 
it improper and unmilitary tfius jiublicly to give any 
opinion respecting the mt>vements of the army. liut 
public confidence in the commanding general is essen- 
tial to the success of the campaign, and causelessly 
to withdraw or to withhold that contidence, is more than 
individual injustice; it hecomes a serious injury to the 
service. A part of the force, of which the American 
army consists, will derive its greatest strength and 
efficacy from a confidence in the commanding general, 
and from those moral causes which accompany and give 
energy to public opinion. A very erroneous idea re- 
specting the number of the troops then at the disposal of 
the general, has doubtless been the primary cause of 
those unfortunate and unfounded impressions. A sense 
of duty forbids us from giving a detailed view of our 
strength at that time. In that respect, we have for- 
tunately experienced a very favorable change. But we 
refer the public to the general's official report to the 
secretary of war, of major Croghan's successful defence 
of Lower Sandusky. In that will be found a statement 
of our whole disposable force; and he who believes 
that with such a force, and under the circumstances 
which then occurred, general Harrison ought to have 
advanced upon the enemy, must be left to correct his 
opinion in the school of experience. 

" On a review of the course then adopted, we are 
decidedly of the opinion, that it was such as was dic- 
tated by military wisdom, and by a due regard to our 
own circumstances and to the situation of the enemy. 
The reasons for this opinion it is evidently improper 
now to give, but we hold ourselves ready at a future 
period, and when other circumstances shall have inter- 
vened, to satisfy every man of its correctness who is 
anxious to investigate and willing to receive the truth. 
And with a ready acquiescence, beyond the mere claims 
of military duty, we are prepared to obey a general. 



i 



90 ' SKETCHES OF 

whose measures meet our most deliberate approbation, 
and merit that of his country. 

Lewis Cass, Brig, Gen. U. S. A. 
Samuel Wells, Col. 17 R. U. S. I. 
Thos. D. Owings, Col. 28 R. U. S. I. 
George Paul, Col. 17 R. U, S. I. 
J. C. Bartlett, Col. Q. M. G. 
James V. Ball, Lieut. Col. 
Robert Morrison, Lieut. Col. 
George Todd, Maj. 19 R. U. S. L 
William Trigg, Maj. 28 R. U. S. I. 
James Smiley, Maj. 28 R. U. S. I. 
Rd. Graham, Maj. 17 R. U. S. L 
Geo. Croghan, Maj. 17 R. U. S. L 
L. HuKiLL, Maj. & Ass. Insp. Gen. 
E. D. Wood, Maj. Engineers." 

These two documents, spontaneously given, and from 
the highest possible authority, must, with all honorable 
minds, relieve the eommander-in-chief from the censure 
which partizan illiberality, attempted to cast upon him, 
in this affair. It is plucking no leaf from the laurels 
which the gallantry of the youthful Croghan entwined 
around his brows, in the defence of Fort Stephenson, to 
claim for his commander, the credit of having acted, on 
this occasion, with prudence, fidelity, and profound mili- 
tary skill. 

As soon as this invasion of the territory of Ohio was 
known, governor Meigs called upon the militia of the „ 
state to repel the enemy. The appeal was promptly and f 
nobly responded to, but the abandonment of the siege of 
Fort Meigs, and the gallant defence of Fort Stephenson, 
rendered their services unnecessary. When the militia 
were disbanded, without an opportunity of meeting the 
foe, or being employed in the main expedition against 
Canada, there was much discontent among them. To 
allay this feeling, general Harrison met them at Upper 
Sandusky ; and, through the governor, made known the 
reasons for their being disbanded. These were, mainly, 
that to retain in camp all the Ohio troops, then embo- 
died, was impossible, as the embarkation on the lake 



I 



GENERAL HARRISON. 91 



Dould not be effected under fifteen or eighteen days, and 
so large a force, even for a short time, would consume 

tthe provisions providtd for the support of the campaign. 

:The delay in movini; upon Canada arose from a cause 
Nvliich general Harrison could not then publicly explain, 
lest it should reach the enemy. Under the plan of the 
campaign, he was not to cross the lake until he had the 
full co-operation of commodore Perry's fleet. The pe- 
riod when this could be obtained was uncertain. Under 
such circumstances, the retention of so large a body of 
militia, in camp, would have defeated the plan of the 
campaign. At the same time, the commander-in-chief 
bore his testimony to the fact, that the exertions made by 
governor Meigs to assemble the militia, and the prompti- 
tude with which the call had been met, was truly astonish- 
ing, and reflected the highest credit on the state. Some 
of the disbanded- officers, however, met together, notwith- 
standing this explanation, and in a moment of popular 
discontent, passed resolutions to the effect, that they 
were greatly disappointed in not being kept in service, 
and that there was something mysterious in the conduct 
of general Harrison. The cool reflection of these offi- 
cers, and a subsequent knowledge of the whole plan of 
the campaign, have long since caused them to regret their 
course on this occasion; and, to admit with a frankness 

•honorable to their character, that they had done great in- 
justice to the commander-in-chief. 

Active preparations for the expedition against Upper 
Canada were now making. The call by general Harri- 
son, on the governor of Kentucky, for volunteers, was 
promptly responded to, by the venerable Shelby, who, in 
a patriotic appeal to the people of that state, appointed 
Ihe 31st of August for the rendezvous of the troops at 

'^ Newport. Public attention was now directed with great 
intenseness, to the rival fleets on lake Erie. About the 
2nd of August, the vessels under commodore Perry were 
finally equipped. On the 5th, general Harrison visited 

.:he fleet, and furnished the commander with a company 
Df soldiers, to act as marines, who were afterwards ac- 
knowledged to have performed a valuable service. Col- 
DDol Johnson, with his mounted regiment, was recalled 



92 SKETCHES OF 

from Kentucky, to the frontiers. Every exertion was 
made along the whole line from Cleveland to Fort Meigs, 
to hasten on the stores, while governor Shelby was stea- 
dily advancing with a strong body of mounted men 
towards the scene of action. In the midst of these ac- 
tive preparations, in which the energy of the commander- 
in-chief was everywhere perceptible, he received on the 
12th of September, at Seneca, a note in which commo- 
dore Perry says : 

" We have met the enemy and they are ours — two 
ships, two brigs, one schooner, and a sloop." 

This important and glorious news spread, with the 
rapidity of an electric shock, throughout the whole line 
of the army, and as it reached the various detachments, 
pressing on to the shore of the lake, it quickened their 
speed, and awakened a burning desire to achieve a 
victory equally brilliant over the enemy under Proctor. 
On the 20th, the embarkation commenced from the mouth 
of Portage river. On the 26th, the army reached the 
Middle Sister, — having touched at Put-in-bay, where a 
general order of debarkation, of march and of battle, was 
issued by the commander-in-chief, which, for lucid mi- 
nuteness and military acumen, has been pronounced by 
competent judges, to be unsurpassed in its kind. On 
the morning of the 27th, the final embarkation of the 
army commenced, in sixteen vessels and upwards of 
eighty boats. The sun shone in all his autumnal beauty, 
and a gentle breeze hastened onward the ships to that 
shore, on which it was anticipated the banner of our 
country would have to be planted, amid the thunder of 
British arms, and the yells of ferocious Indians. While 
moving over the bosom of the lake, — every eye en- 
chanted with the magnificence of the scene, and every 
heart panting for the coming opportunity of avenging 
their country's wrongs, — the beloved commander-in-chief 
caused the following address to be delivered to his army : 

" The general entreats his brave troops to remember, 
that they are the sons of sires whose fame is immortal ; 
that they are to fight for the rights of their insulted coun- 
iry^ while their opponents combat for the unjust preten- 
sions of a master. Kentuckians ! remember the river 



GENERAL HAURISON. 03 

Raisin ; but remember it onh/^ whilst victory is suspend- 
ed. Tlie revenge of a soldier cannot be gratified upon a 
fallen enemy." 

When this stirring ap[)eal was read, on each ves- 
sel, and in each boat, the shouts of '* Harrison and 
victory," rose, successively, from an army of freemen, 
and went booming over the rippling waters. The luid- 
ing was etVected at four o'clock, with a celerity and 
an order, as remarkable as the spectacle was beautiful 
and grand ; and, about sundown, the army entered Mai- 
den in triumph, heralded by the national air of " yankee 
doodle." The enemy had lied — the town was nearly de- 
serted, and the fort a pile of smouldering ruins On the 
29th, the army reached Sandwich, in pursuit of the re- 
treating foe. 

At this place, a council was held, on the question of a 
choice of routes, over which to pursue Proctor. The 
one up the 'I'hames was finally selected. Personal ani- 
mosity tow-ards the commander-in-chief, subsequently 
gave xiiiQ to the charge, that in this council, he was on- 
posed to the pursuit of the enemy, and was reluctantly 
forced into it, by the venerable hero of King's Mountain, 
, who commanded, in person, the Kentucky irocpt. on this 
r memorable expedition. That the reader may see the fal- 
I sity of this allegation, we here break the thread of our 
f narrative, to introduce the fqllowing letters, which con- 
tain the most ample refutation of a charge as unfounded 
as it is malicious : 

Frankfort, April 2\y 1816. 

"Dear General: — Your letter of the 15th instant 
has been duly received, in which you stated that a charge 
has been made against you, ' that you were forced to 
pursue Proctor from my remonstrances,' and that I had 
said to you upon that occasion, 'that it was immatorial 
■what direction you took, that I was resolved to pursue 
the enemy up the Thames ;' and you request me to give 
you a statement of facts in relation to the council of war 
held at .Sandwich. 

" I will, in the first place, freely declare that no such 
language ever passed from me to you, and that 1 enter- 



94 SKETCHES OF 

tained throughout the campaign, too high an opinion of 
your military talents, to doubt for a moment your capacity 
to conduct the army to the best advantage. It is well 
recollected, that the army arrived at Sandwich in the 
afternoon of the 29th of September, and that the next 
day was extremely wet. I was at your quarters in the 
evening of that day; we had a conversation relative to 
the pursuit of the enemy, and you requested me to see 
you early the next morning. I waited on you just after 
daybreak — found you up, apparently waiting for me ; you 
led me into a small private room, and on the way ob- 
served, ' We must not be heard.' You were as anxious 
to pursue Proctor as I was, but might not have been en- 
tirely satisfied as to the route. You observed that there 
were two ways by which he might be overtaken: one 
was down the lake by water, to some post or point, of 
the name of which I am now not positive ; thence to 
march across by land twelve miles to the road leading up 
the Thames, and intercept him. The other way by land, 
up the strait, and up the Thames. I felt satisfied, by a 
pursuit on land, that he could be overhauled, and ex- 
pressed that opinion, with the reasons on which it was 
founded, and we readily agreed in sentiment; but you 
observed, as there were two routes by which "he might 
be overtaken, to determine the one most proper was a 
measure of great responsibility, that you would take the 
opinion of the general officers as to the most practicable' 
one, and you requested me to collect them in one hour at 
your quarters. I assembled them accordingly, to whom 
you stated your determination to pursue Proctor, and 
your object in calling them together; and after explain- 
ing the two routes by which he might be overtaken, you 
observed, ' that the governor thinks, and so do I, that the 
pursuit by land up the Thames, will be most effectual." 
The general officers were in favor of a pursuit by land ; 
and in the course of that day, colonel Johnson, with his 
mounted regiment, was able to cross over from the De- 
troit side to join in the chase. He might, however, have 
been ordered the day before, during the rain, to cross 
over with his regiment ; but of this I have not a distinct 
recollection. The army I know was on its march by 



OENEIIAL IIAKRISON. 95 

Bunrise on the morninp of tlie 2nd of October, and 
continued the pursuit (often in a run,) until the eveuinnr 
of the 5th, when the tucMiiy was overtaken. Duriiijr the 
whole of this loiior -and arduous pursuit, no man could 
make greater exertions, or use more vigilance than you 
did to overtake Proctor, whilst the skill and promptitude 
with which you arranged the troops for battle, and the 
distinguished zeal and bravery you evinced during its 
continuance, merited and received my highest approba- 
tion. 

" In short, sir, from the time I joined you to the mo- 
ment of our separation, I believe that no commander 
ever did or could make greater exertions than you did 
to effect the great objects of the campaign. I admired 
your plans, and thought them executed with great ener- 
gy ; particularly your order of battle, and arrangements 
for landing on the Canada shore, were calculated to in- 
spire every officer and man with a confidence that we 
could not be defeated by. anything like our own number." 

" Until after I had served the campaign of 1813, I was 
not aware of the difficulties which you had to encounter 
as commander of the north-western army. I have since 
often said, and still do believe, that the duties assigned 
to you on that occasion, were more arduous and difficult 
to accomplish than any I had ever know^n confided to 
any commander; and with respect to the zeal and fidel- 
ity with which you executed that high and important 
trust, there are thousands in Kentucky, as well as my- 
self, who believed it could not have been committed to 
better hands. 

" With sentiments of the most sincere regard and 
esteem, I have the honor to be, with great respect, your 
obedient servant, ISAAC SHELBY. 

" Major General William Henry Ilttrrison. 



»» 



Newport, Jugtist 18, 1817. 
" My Dear Sir : — I have received your letter of the 
11th ult. in which you request me to reply to the fol- 
lowing questions, viz : first, ' Whether the statements 
made by governor Shelby in his letter to you of the 21st 
of April, ^1816, be substantially correct T to which 1 re- 



96 SKETCHES OF 

ply in the affirmative. Secondly, ' Whether you did 
ever, either in the council held at Sandwich, or in pri- 
vate conversation with me, evince anything like an in- 
disposition to pursue the British army hy one of the two 
routes which were under consideration V — to which: I 
answer in the negative. In a conversation which I held 
with you the morning prior to the assembling of the 
general council at Sandwich, you appeared particularly 
desirous of attempting to cut off the retreat of the Bri- 
tish army by the route from port Talbot. To your argu- 
ments in favor of this measure, I opposed our limited 
means of transportation, and the great difficulty and 
uncertainty of the lake navigation at this season of the 
year. These obstacles appeared to induce you to have 
recourse to the measure which was afterwards adopted. 

"Although I have little or no pretensions to military 
knowledge as relates to an army, still I may be allowed, 
to bear testimony to your zeal and activity in the pursuit 
of the British army under general Proctor, and to say, 
the prompt change made by you in the order of battle, 
on discovering the position of the enemy, always has 
appeared to me to have evinced a high degree of military 
talent. I concur most sincerely with the venerable 
governor Shelby, in his general approbation of your con- 
duct as far (as it came under my observation,) in that 
campaign. With great regard, I am, my dear sir, your 
friend, " 0. H. PERRY. 

*' Major General W. H. Harrison^ 

Extract of a letter from Governor Cass to General Harrison^ 
dated Detroit^ August 31, 1817. 
" Upon the subject of the council which was held at 
Sandwich, I cannot speak with precision ; I think that 
for some cause, I do not now recollect, I was not present 
at its deliberations. But I do recollect that at all the 
interviews I had with you, you were ardent and zeal- 
ous for the pursuit of Proctor; nor did I ever hear that 
a doubt had been expressed by you upon that subject, 
till long after the events themselves had passed away. 
In the letter from governor Shelby to you, which has 
been published, the governor has stated so correctly and 



CKNERAL IIAnUlSON. 97 

dislinclly, tho propositions which were made for the pur- 
suit of Proctor, liiat there is less necessity for me to 
enter into a detail of them. The main body of the ene- 
my's army iiad left Ainherstburj^ some days before we 
landed, and were under;:lood to be upon the river French. 
If conducted with common prudence, it was my opinion 
then, and it is my opinion yet, that they might have 
moved with such celerity as to have rendered it im- 
practicable for us to have overtaken them. A deep in- 
dentation of the lake some distance below Maiden would 
have brought us within a few miles of the road upon 
which Proctor retreated, and considerably advanced of 
the position where we overtook him. The propriety of 
pursuing him along the road he had taken, or of endeav- 
oring to intercept him by the other route, was the subject 
of conversation on our first arrival at Sandwich. But 
whenever I conversed with you, the latter route was 
mentioned as one which deserved examination rather than 
one upon which any decided opinion had been formed. 
Upon a consideration of its uncertainty at that season of 
the year, it was soon abandoned. I was w ith you fre- 
quently, and conversed with you freely, during our con- 
tinuance at Sandwich, and I am confident you never hes- 
itated in your determination to pursue Proctor. So far 
as my feeble testimony can aid in removinjr erroneous 
impressions, which have injured you, it is given with 
pleasure. From the time I joined the army under your 
command, its operations were conducted with as much 
celerity as possible, and so far as respects yourself, its 
fiscal concerns, I am confident, were managed with the 
most scrupulous integrity." 



98 SKETCHES OF 



CHAPTER IX. 

Battle of the Thames. — Documents as to the same. — General 
Harrison sails for Buffalo. — Marches to Fort George. — Or- 
dered to his District. — Descends lake Ontario to Sackett's 
Harbor. — Passes to Cincinnati, via. New York, Philadelphia, 
and Washington. — Interference with his command by Gen- 
eral Armstrong. — Perry's letter. — M'Arthur's letter. — John- 
son's letter. — Croghan's letter. — Harrison's letter of resigna- 
tion to the President. — Governor Shelby's letter to the Pres- 
ident. 

When the army reached Sandwich, on the 29th, gen- 
eral M'Arthur was detached with his brigade to retake 
possession of Detroit, which for thirteen months had been 
in the possession of the British and Indians. The latter 
did not leave it until startled by a few rounds from one 
of our vessels. On the same day, the creneral, seizing 
the first moment to abrogate the martial law in force by 
Proctor, re-established the civil government of Michigan, 
to the great joy and relief of the inhabitants. 

Colonel .Johnson, with his mounted regiment, crossed 
the strait early on the 1st of October, and rejoined- the 
army. On the 2nd of October, the pursuit was resumed. 
On a fork of the Thames, near Chatham, a large party 
of Indians were found prepared to dispute the passage 
of that stream. A few shot from Wood's artillery dis- 
persed them. This was the place appointed by Proc- 
tor, in his conference with Tecumthe, to make a stand. 
" Here," said the former, " they would either defeat gen- 
eral Harrison, or there lay their bones." Tecumthe ap- 
proved of the position, and said, "when he should look 
at the two streams, they would remind him of the Wa- 
bash and Tippecanoe."* The pursuit was continued 
with unabated speed, — the troops being frequently on 
a run, until the 5th, when near the Moravian towns, 

* A deep, unfordable creek falls into the Thames, near Chat- 
ham. 



I 



I 



GENERAL HARRISON. 60 

twelve miles beyond the crossing of the Thames, the 
enemy was overtaken. 

The position selected by the enemy was eminently ju- 
dicious. The British troops, amouniiiipr to eight or nine 
hundred, were posted witli their lefi upon the river, 
which was unfordable at that point; their right extended 
to, and across a swamp, and united there with a body of 
Indians, led by the celebrated Tecunithe, amounting to 
eighteen hundred or two thousand. The British artil- 
lery was placed in the road along the river, near to the 
left of their line. At from two to three hundred yards 
from the river, a swamp extends nearly parallel to it, the 
intermediate ground being dry. This position of the 
enemy, with his flank j)rotected on the left by the river, 
and on the rifjht by the swamp filled by the Indians, was 
evidently calculated to call for a display of military tal- 
ent in the opposing general, and of valor in his troops. 
As the winjjs could not be turned, fjeneral Harrison made 
his arranjrements to concentrate his forces atjainst the 
British line. The 1st division, under major-eeneral 
Henry, was formed in three lines at one hundred yards 
from each other — the front line consisting of Trotter's 
britjade, the second line of Chiles's brigade, and the re- 
serve of King's brio-ade. These lines were in front of, 
and parallel to, the British troops. The second division, 
und(r major general Desha, composed of Allen's and 
Caldwell's [)rigades, was formed en putence, or at right 
angles to the first division. Governor Slielby, as senior 
major general of the Kentucky troops, was posted at this 
crotchet, formed between the first and second divisions. 
Colonel Simrall's regiment of light infantry was formed 
in reserve, obliquely to the left division and covering the 
rear of the front division; and after much refleciion as to 
the disposition to he made of colonel Johnson's mountfd 
troops, ihey were directed, as soon as the front line ad- 
vanced, to take ground to the left, and, forming upon that 
flank, to endeavor to turn the right of the Indians. A de- 
tachment of regular troops of the 2Gth United States in- 
fantry, under colonel Paul, occupied the space between 
the road and the river for the purpose of seizing the ene- 
my's artillery ; and simultaneously with this movement, 



100 SKETCHES OF 

forty friendly Indians were to pass under the bank to 
the rear of the British line, and by their fire induce the 
enemy to suppose their own Indians had turned against 
them. At the same time, colonel Wood had been in- 
structed to make preparations for using the enemy's ar- 
tillery, and rake their own line by a flank fire. By refu- 
sing the left ar second division, the Indians were kept in 
the air, that is, in a position in which they would be use- 
less. It will be seen, as the general anticipated, that 
they awaited in their position the advance of the second 
divisi(/n, whilst the British left was contending- vvith the 
American right. The Indians afterwards inquired why 
this division did not charge their line. This disposition 
of the troops was a combination of the modern tactics in 
Europe, with that prescribed by Washington and adopt- 
ed by general Wayne. Johnson's corps consisted of nine 
hundred men, and the five brirjades under governor Shel- 
by, amounted from fifteen to eighteen hundred, in all not 
exceedng two thousand seven hundred. 

In the midst of these arrangements, and just as the or- 
der was about to be given to the front line to advance, at 
the head of which general Harrison had placed himself 
with his staff, major Wood approached him with the 
intelligence, that having reconnoitred the enemy he had 
ascertained the remarkable fact, that the British lines, in- 
stead of the usual close order, had been drawn up at open 
order. This departure from ordinary military principles 
in the formation of the British troops, at once induced 
general Harrison to adopt the novel expedient of charg- 
ing the British lines with Johnson's mounted troops. 
This determination was communicated to colonel John- 
son, who was directed to draw up his regiment " in close 
column, with its right fifty yards from the road, (that it 
might be, in some measure, protected by the trees from 
the artillery,) its left upon the swamp, and to charge full 
speed upon the enemy." 

At this juncture, general Harrison, with his aids-de- 
camp, attended by general Cass and commodore Perry, 
advanced from the right of the front line of infantry, to 
the right of the front of the column of mounted troops 
led by lieutenant colonel James Johnson and major Du- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 101 

val Payne. General Harrison personally pave llie direr- 
tions tor the charge to be made " w lien ihe riiihi hat- 
lalion of the mounted men received the fire of the Hrit- 
ish ; tl>e horses in the front df the colutun recoihd from 
thi," fire ; another was given hy tlie enemy, aiui our col- 
umn at lenoih orettiiKT in motion, broke throuj^h the ene- 
my with irresistible force. In one minute the contest in 
front was over. Tlie British officers seeing no prospect 
of reducing their disordered ranks to ord»>r," and sei-ing 
the advance of infantry "and our mounted men wheeling 
upon them and pouring in a destructive fire, immediately 
surrendered."* 

'I'he result of this charge decided the fate of the day. 
It uncovered the Indian left, and necessarily comj)elled a 
retreat, although the battle continued to rage severi'ly to 
the left aIon«T the Indian line. Colonel Richard M. John- 
son, by the extension of his line, had come in contact 
with the Indians, who had made some impression tipon 
him and the left of Trotter's brigade. As soon as the 
charge upon the right had taken etfect, general Harrison 
dispatched an order to governor Shelby to bring up Sim- 
rali's regiment to reinforce the point pressed by the In- 
dians, and then the general passed to the left to superin- 
tend the operations in that quarter. The governor, how- 
ever, had anticipated the wishes of the general, and 
bringing up Simrall's regiment, met the general near the 
crotchet, and soon after the battle ceased. The com- 
manding general then directed a portion of the right bat- 
talion, under major Payne, to pursue general Proctor, 
who had tied under the escort of a troop of dragoons and 
some mounted Indians. The pursuit was so hot for six 
miles beyond the Moravian town, that the British gene- 
ral was compelled t^j abandon his sword, papers, and 
carriage, which, with sixty-three prisoners, several In- 
dians killed, and aji immense amount of stores, was the 
result of this daring enterprise by seven ofTicers and three 
privates, who alone continued the pursuit after the first 
few miles. 

Our loss in this decisive battle, was from seventeen to 

♦ Oincial disjMtch. 



102 SKETCHES OP 

twenty killed, and thirty to forty wounded. The British 
loss was six hundred and forty-five, of which eighteen 
were killed and twenty -six wounded ; and the Indians 
left on the ground and in the pursuit, between fifty and 
sixty killed, and, estimating the usual pioportion of 
wounded, their total loss must have been near two hun- 
dred. Among our gallant dead, was colonel Whitley, 
and lieutenant Logan. Colonel R. M. Johnson and cap- 
tains J. Davidson and Short, were severely wounded. 
Tecumthe, a brigadier-general in the British service, and 
the formidable chief of the Indian confederacy, fell in this 
memorable battle, by which an important territory was 
restored to the United States, the uppermost Canada was 
conquered, and the blessinfjs of peace extended to the 
frontier settlements in the north-west. 

From a review of the arrangements and incidents in 
this battle, it will be seen that the plan of refusing the 
left winsr, was attended with the happiest consequences. 
The force of the enemy consisted principally of Indians 
in position, with the right of their line thrown forward 
obtusely from the point where they united with the 
British : the latter appeared to constitute the weakest 
wing of the enemy; and therefore general Harrison ex- 
hibited military genius in so arranging his troops as to 
suspend or avoid a conflict with the Indians, and concen- 
trate his strencrth ajjainst the British line. The severe 
loss inflicted by the Indians on colonel Johnson's left, 
and the small part of the infantry with which they came 
in contact, abundantly shews what would have been the 
loss of life, if the left wing had advanced upon the In- 
dian line. 

We introduce in this place, an extract of the official 
letter of general Harrison, bearing testimony to the con- 
duct of his officers and so'diers in this battle. 

" In commimicatintr to the president through you, sir, 
my opinion of the conduct of the cfficers who served un- 
der my command, I am at a loss how to mention that of 
governor Shelby, being convinced that no eulogium of 
mine can reach his merit. Tlie governor of an indepen- 
dent state, greatly my superior in years, in experience, 
and in military character, he placed himself under my 



GENERAL HARRISON. 103 

command, and was not more remarkable for his zeal and 
activity, than for the promptitude and cheerfulness with 
which he obeyed my orders. 'I'he major-jrenerals Mt-nry 
and Desha, and the brifjadiers Allen, Caldwell, King-, 
Chiles, and Trotter, all of the Kentucky volunteers, man- 
ifested great zeal and activity. Of governor Shelby's 
staff, his adjutant-general, colonel ^^Dowell, and his 
quarter-master general, colonel Walker, rendered great 
service, as did his aids-de-camp, general Adair and ma- 
jors Barry and Crittenden. 'I'he military skill of the 
former was of great service to us, and the activity of the 
two latter gentlemen could not be surpassed. Illness 
deprived me of the talents of my adjutant-general, colo- 
nel Gaines, who was left at Sandwich. His duties were, 
however, ably performed by the acting assistant adju- 
tant-general, captain Butler. My aids-de-camp, lieutenant 
O'Fallon and captain Todd, of the line, and my volunteer 
aids, John Speed Smith and John Chambers, Esq. have 
rendered me the most important service from the opening 
of the campaign. I have already stated that general 
Cass and commodore Perry assisted me in forming the 
troops for action. The former is an officer of the high- 
est merit, and the appearance of the brave commodore 
cheered and animated every breast. 

*' It would be useless, sir, after stating the circum- 
stances of the action, to pass encomiums upon colonel 
Johnson and his regiment. Veterans could not have 
manifested more firmness. The colonel's numerous 
wounds prove that he was in the post of danger. Lieu- 
tenant-colonel James Johnson and the majors Payne and 
Thomson were equally active, thouoh more forfunaie. 
Major Wood, of the engineers, already distinguished by 
his conduct at Fort Meigs, attended the army with two 
six pounders. Having no use for them in the action, he 
joined in the pursuit of the enemy, and with major Payne 
of the mounted regiment, two of my aids-de-camp, Todd 
and Chambers,* and three privates, continued it forseve- 



* Captain Langham, and lieutenants Scrogg:in and Bell, in- 
advertently omitted in this letter, were noticed in a subsequent 
general order, as being in the pursuit." 



104 SKETCHES OF 

ral miles after the rest of the troops had halted, and made 
many prisoners. 

" I left the army before an official return of the prison- 
ers, or that of the killed and wounded, was made out. It f 
was however ascertained that the former amounts to six 
hundred and one regulars, includinjr twenty-five officers. 
Our loss is seven killed and twenty-two wounded, five 
of which have since died. Of the British troops twelve 
were killed and twenty-two wounded. The Indians suf- 
fered most — thirty-three of them having- been found upon 
the ground, besides those killed on the retreat. On the 
day of the action, six pieces of brass artillery were taken, 
and two iron twenty-four pounders the day before. Sev- 
eral others were discovered in the river, and can be easily 
procured. Of the brass pieces three are the trophies of 
our revolutionary war, that were taken at Saratoga and 
York, and surrendered by general Hull. The number 
of small arms taken by us and destroyed by the enemy 
must amount to upwards of five thousand ; most of them 
had been ours, and taken by the enemy at the surrender 
of Detroit, at the river Raisin, and colonel Dudley's de- 
feat. I believe that the enemy retain no other military 
trophy of their victories than the standard of the 4th reg- 
iment. They were not magnanimous enough to bring 
that of the 41st regiment into the field, or it would have 
been taken. 

"You have been informed, sir, of the conduct of the 
troops under my command in action ; it gives me great 
pleasure to inform you, that they merit also the approba- 
tion of their country for their conduct, in submitting to 
the greatest privations with the utmost cheerfulness. 
The infantry were entirely without tents, and for several 
days the whole army subsisted on fresh beef without 
bread or salt. I have the honor to be, &;c. 

"WILLIAM H. HARRISON. 

" P. S. General Proctor escaped by the fleetness of his 
horses, escorted by forty dragoons and a number of 
mounted Indians. 

" General James Armstrongs Secretary of TVar.^^ 



GENERAL HARRISON. 105 

Colonel Wood, whose military eye discovered tfrat 
position of the enemy which induced general Harrisnn 
to chancre the mode of attack, introduced into liLs journal 
ihe following criticism npon the events of the day : 

"It is really a novel thing- tiiat raw militia, stuck \ipon 
horees, with muskets in their hands instead of sabres, 
sl.ould be able to pierce British lines with such com- 
plete effect, as did Johnson's men in the afTair upon the 
Tiraiues ; and perhaps the oidy circumstance which could 
justify that deviation from the long established rules of 
the art military, is the complete success of the result. 
Great generals are authorized to step aside occasionally 
— especially when they know that their errors will not 
be noticed by their adversary." 

Commodore Perry, in a letter to general Harrison of 
18th August, 1817, says: 

" The prompt change made by you in the order of bat- 
tle on discovering the position of the enemy, has always 
appeared to me to have evinced a high degree of mili- 
tary TALENT. I concur with the venerable Shelby in his 
general approbation of your conduct in that campaign." 

]Mr. Madison, in his annual message to congr. ss, thus 
notices, with rare discrimination and justice, the promi- 
nent actors in this scene: 

"The success on lake Erie having opened a passage 
to the territory of the enemy, the officer commanding the 
north-western army transferred the war thither, and rap- 
idly pursuing the hostile troops, fleeing with their sav- 
age associates, forced a general action, which quickly 
terminated in the capture of the British, and dispersion 
of the savage force. — This result is signally honorable 
to major-general Harrison, by whose military talents it 
was prepared ; to colonel Johnson and his mounted volun- 
teers, whose impetuous onset gave a decisive blow to the 
ranks of tlie enemy ; and to the spirit of the volunteer mi- 
litia, equally brave and patriotic, who bore an interesting 
part in the scene ; more especially to the chief maijistrate 
of Kentucky, at the head of them, whose heroisu), signal- 
ized in the war which established the independence of 
his country, sought, at an advanced age, a share in hard- 
ships and battles, for maintaining its rights and its safety." 



106 SKETCHES OF 

Mr. Cheves alludes to this event in a speech in con- 
gress, in the following- terms : 

*' The victory of Harrison was such as would have se- 
cured to a Roman general in the best days of the Repub- 
lic, the honors of a triumph ! He put an end to the war 
in the uppermost Canada." 

And the patriotic Simon Snyder, governor of Pennsyl- 
vania, introduces the subject to the legislature in these 
terms : 

"Already is the brow of the young warrior, Croghan, 
encircled with laurels, and the blessings of thousands of 
women and children, rescued from the scalping knife of 
the ruthless savag-e of the wilderness, and from the still 
more savage Proctor, rest on Harrison and his gallant 
army." 

The capture of the British, and dispersion of the In- 
dian force on the Thames, enabled general Harrison to 
proceed to the Niagara frontier with the brigade of Mc Ar- 
thur, the rifle regiment under colonel Wells, and the battal- 
ion under colonel Ball. On this, as on a former occasion, 
he anticipated the wishes of the government ; for although 
he had received no instructions since the preceding July, 
his own judgment led him to transfer his disposable 
force to the Niagara strait, after he had accomplished 
the objects of the campaign. The want of the necessary 
provisions, and the season being too far advanced to en- 
counter the upper lakes, had previously determined the 
general and commodore Perry, to abandon the expedition 
against Macinaw. General Cass was stationed at De- 
troit with his brigade, and the civil government of Mich- 
igan and the military occupation of the uppermost Can* 
ada, committed to his charge. 

General Harrison sailed in Perry's fleet and reached 
Erie on the 22nd, and Buffalo on the 24th of October, 
and proceeded immediately to Newark, when he assu- 
med the command of the troops at that place, and Forts 
George and Niagara, then under the command of general 
McClure, of the New York militia. He received at this 
point from general Armstrong, secretary of war, a copy 
of the dispatch of the 22nd of September, wliich had been 
lost with captain Brown, in the attempt to pass up to 



GENERAL HARKISON. 107 

Detroit, in October. This letter sugrtrrsted the propriety 
of general Harrison proceeding to the Niagara strait, af- 
ter he had secured Maiden and the army under Proctor. 
Another letter received about this tinu? from the secretary 
of war, under date of the *2()th of October, adds the au- 
thority of general Armstrong's military opinion, so far a8 
it was entitled to weight, to the propriety of general 
Harrison having convened a council of war at Sandwii-h, 
to determine upon the route by which Proctor should l)e 
pursued. We introduce an extract of the letter to show 
that Armstrong recommended the very route which was 
not taken : 

"Sackett's Harbor, Odoher 20, 1813. 

"We are, perhaps, too remote to profit by eacli oth- 
er's suggestions ; but it docs not appear to me that Sand- 
wich is the point at which Proctor will stop, if you pur- 
sue him. From Point aux Pins, on lake Erie, there is a 
good road to Chatham, on the rhames, the distance not 
more than twenty-four miles. Were this gained and 
traveled back to Sandwich, the enemy's means of sub- 
sistence might be destroyed, and himself compelled to 
surrender — but of the practicability of this, you are the 
best judge. My opinion is suggested by the map." 

The secretary of war, in a letter of the 30ih of Octo- 
ber, recommended to general Harrison to move against 
the enemy, at Burlington Heights, near the head of lake 
Ontario, the capture or destruction of which, he says, 
would be a glorious T^/m/e to his campaiirn. But whilst 
the most active preparaticns were making to elfect this 
object, another letter from the secretary, on the 3rd of 
November, four days later, required general Harrison to 
send McArthur's brigade to Sacketi's Harbor, concluding 
with the declaration'ihat the " general would be permit- 
ted to make a visit to his family, which he understood as 
an order to retire to his own district."* His letters of 
the loth of November, 1S13, to general M'Clure, show 
the sense in which general Harrison regarded this letter, 
which "left him no alternative as to the disposition of 
McArthur's brigade," and which he considered as " or- 



M'Affee, 405. 



108 SKETCHES OF 

dering him to return to the westward." Generals Hani- 
Bon and McClure were actively eiij^aj^ed in preparations 
against the enemy in conformity to Armstrong's sugges- 
tion on the 30th ot'Octoher, when those arrangements were 
nrresieJ hy the requisition contained in the letter of the 
3rd of November, and the arrival of commodore Chaiin- 
cey, with his squadron, on the 1 Ith of November. The 
commodore " was extremely jiressing that tlio troops 
should imu'ediately embark, declaring tlvat the naviga- 
tion at that season, to small vessels, was very danger- 
ous."* The general acconjpanied the troops to Sackeit's 
Harbor, and returned to his district hy the way of New 
York, Philadelphia, and Washington. In the two for- 
mer cities, he received those evidences of public grati- 
tude which belong only to public benefactors. Early in 
January he resumed, at Cincinnati, the command of the 
8lli military district. 

The course of public opinion during the winter, indica- 
ted very decidedly that general Harrison ought to be in- 
vested with the chief command in the next cam-paign. 
Con)modore Perry, who had witnessed the exertions, the 
skill and bravery of general Harrison, addressed to him 
about this period, a letter, in which he says, " You know 
what has i)een my opinion as to the future commander- 
in-chief of the army. I pride myself not a little, 1 assure 
you, on seeing my predictions so near being verified ; yes, 
my dear friend, 1 expect to hail you as the chief who is to 
redeem the honor of our arms in the north." The veteran 
general McArthur, another eye-witness to the career of 
general Harrison, wrote to him early in 1814, from Al- 
bany, New York, from which the following is an extract: 
*' You, sir, stand the highest with the militia of this state 
of any general in the service, and 1 am confident, that no 
man can fioht them to so great an advantaoe ; and 1 think 
their extreme solicitude may be tlie means of calling you 
to this frontier." 13ut from causes, which it is dilficult 
at this time to explain, genera! Armstrong's feelings and 
opinions in relation to general Harrison, had undergone 
a material change. His letter of the 14th May, 1814, 

* 5th vol. Niies. 333. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 109 

enclosing t)ie plan of the canipaifrn, as snluiiiitcd to the 
president on the 30lh of April, fully adlhorizrs the infer- 
ence that rrcncral Harrison would not he assigned any 
coflimaiul in the active operations of the n[>proachin|j cam- 
paign. All of the troops in tlio Hth niililary district, ex- 
cepting garrisons for Detroit and Maiden, w«re to he 
held in readiness to move down the lake to HiifTalo, and 
j^erieral McArthur was desii^nnicd for the comniand of 
those corps, includin"- the 17tli, 19ih, 'Jlth, and iiSih rej^- 
iments of rejrulars. This arrangement of all the (tiajMHO' 
hie furcc in Ihc north-xrcat, while it left ge'ieral Harrison 
to remain in the 8th military district, was made after the 
receipt at the war office of his letter of the 13th of Feh- 
ruary, 1814, in which he expresses his views and feel- 
ings arising from the interference of the secretary in with- 
drawing general Howard from his command. That letter 
concludes with the following declaration :** Apart from 
the considerations of my duty to my country, I have no 
inducement to remain in the army, and if the prerogatives 
of my rank and station as the Cdmmainlnr nfa district, be 
taken from me, being fully convinced that I can render 
no important service, 1 should much rather be permitted 
to retire to private life."* 

This was the condition of things, when the secretary 
persevered in interferinff with his j)rerot:atives, as the 
commander of the district, by dispatching to major 
Holmes, a subordinate officer at Detroit, an order to lake 
three hundred men from that post, and j)roceed on hoard 
commodore Sinclair's fleet, destined to Macinaw. This 
proceeding on the part of the secretary, was a gross in- 
vasion of military propriety ; and whatever may have 
been the design, it authorized jjeneral Jlarrison to jmp- 
pose it was not the intention of the secretary to respect 
his rank as commander of the district. The order not 
only passed by the general, hut was derogatory to the 
rank of colonel Crnghan, the immediate commander 
of the post. That gallant young officer spoke of Uiis 
course without reserve; and in a letter to general Har- 
rison, made the following appropriate remarks: "Major 



Dawson, 435. 



110 SKETCHES OF 

Holmes has been notified by the war department, that he 
is chosen to command the land troops which are intended 
to co-operate with tlie fleet at^ainst the enemy's force on 
the upper lakes. So soon as I may be directed by you 
to order major Holmes on that command, and to furnish 
him with the necessary troops, 1 shall do so ; but not 
till then shall he, or any other part of my force, leave 
the sod." * In another letter to oreneral Harrison, he re- 
marks : " I know not how to account for the secretary 
of war's assuminop to himself the right of designating 
. major Holmes for this command to Macinaw. My ideas 
on the subject may not be correct; yet for the sake of 
the principle, were I a general commanding a district, I 
would be very far from suffering the secretary of war, or 
any other authority to interfere with my internal police." f 
This order to major Holmes would authorize the infer- 
ence that the secretary may have had other correspon- 
dence with him or other inferior officers of the district. 
It was evidently a course of conduct indicating a very 
different state of feeling towards the only successful 
general of the previous campaigns, from that implied l)y 
the unlimited powers confided to him in 1812-'13. Of 
the impolicy and great indelicacy, of a secretary at war 
interferinor in the internal arrang-ements of the district 
confided to a commanding general, abundant evidence is 
afforded in the uiimilitary order given to colonel Johnson 
in June, 1813, to march to St. Louis. Colonel Johnson 
and his regiment were anxious to participate in the con- 
templated movements into Canada, and were exceedingly 
mortified with this order, interfering as well with their 
wishes as with the internal police of the commanding 
general. It was on this trying occasion that colonel 
Johnson, on the 4th of July, appealed to general Harri- 
son, to countermand the order; but the general regarded 
it as so imperative that he would not disobey it. In the 
colonel's letter, he expressed the wish, to " serve under 
a general who was brave, skilful, and prudent;'*'' but gen- 
eral Harrison would only so far modify the order, as to 
permit colonel Johnson and his regiment to take Ken- 

* M'Affee, 417. f M'Afee, 418. 



GENKRAL HARRISON. Ill 

tucky in the route to St. Louis, in the hope that the 
horses might be recruited, and additional volunteers 
obtained. In the history of the latn war in the west, it 
is stated, tliat " he had scarcely reached Kentucky, be- 
fore general Harrison had been authorized to recall Inni, 
by a letter from the war department, in which the secre- 
tary expressed his rct^rct (hat the urdrr for his ni<irch had 
ever reached general Harrison, and that the latter, hnnv- 
ing the impropriety tif the order, had not on that ground, 
delayed its execution." ♦ 

Immediately upon the receipt by general Harrison, of 
the notification of the order to major Holmes, he sent to 
the war dej)artmeiit a resignation of his comniissiun in 
the army; accompanied by a letter of the same date, 
to the president of the United States. The felicity of 
style, and nobleness of sentiment which characierize 
that letter, warrant its introduction into these sketches: 

"Head Quarters, Cincinnati, Mat/ 11, 1611. 

Dear Sir: — I have this day forwarded to the secretary 
of war, my resignution of the commission I hold in the 
army. 

" This measure has not been determined on, without a 
reference to all the reasons which should intluence a cit- 
izen, who is sincerely attacheii to the honor and interests 
of hts country; who believes that the war in which we 
are engaged is just and necessary ; and that the crisis 
requires the sacrifice of every private consideration, 
which could stand in opposition to the public goo<I. 
But after giving the sul)ject the most mature considera- 
tion, I am perfectly convinced, that my retiring from the 
army is as compatible with the claims of patriotism, as 
it is with those of my family, and a proper regard for 
my own feelings and honor. 

♦'I have no other motives in writing this letter, than 
to assure you, that my resignation was not produced by 
any diminution of the interest I have always taken in 
the success of your administration, or of resperi and 
attachment for your person. The former can only take 

» M'AflVe, 337. 



112 SKETCHES OF 

place, when I forget the republican principles in which I 
have been educated ; and the latter, when I shall cease to 
regard those feelings, which must actuate every honest 
man, who is conscious of favors that it is out of his 
power to repay. Allow me, &c. 

" HARRISON. 
"/awes Madison, Esq. Presidenl U. S. ." 

As soon as governor Shelby understood ttiat general 
Harrison had forwarded his resisrnation, he addressed 
a letter to the president, urging him to decline an ac- 
ceptance. The president was on a visit to "Virginia, 
to which place the letters from general Harrison and 
governor Shelby were forwarded, and that of the lat- 
ter was not received, until 2i{iex Armstrong, ivithout the 
previous consent of the president, had taken upon him- 
self the high prerogative of accepting the resignation. 
The president expressed his great regret that the letter 
of governor Shelby had not been received at an earlier 
date, as in that case the valuable services of general 
Harrison would have been preserved to the nation in the 
ensuing campaigns. 

As that letter was written by a veteran soldier who 
had served under general Harrison, and also under Gates, 
Greene, and Marion, of the revolutionary war, by which 
he was enabled to judge of their comparative merits, we 
insert it, that the present generation may form some idea 
of the loss sustained by the nation, in the resignation 
of general Harrison, produced by the course of general 
Armstronof in the war office. . 



o 



n 



Frankfort, May 15, 1814. 

Dear Sir: — The interest I feel for the prosperity ol 
our beloved country, at all times, but especially in the 
common cause in which she is at present engaged, will, 
I flatter myself, be a sufficient apology for addressing 
you this letter. The motives which impel me, arise from 
considerations of public good, and are unknown to the 
gentleman who is the subject of the letter. 

**It is not my intention to eulogize general Harrison; 



GENERAL HARRISON. 118 

he is not in need of that aid, his merits are loo conspicu- 
ous not to he ohserved ; bui it is my intention to ex[iress 
to you with candor, my opinion of tlie general, founded 
on personal observation. 

"A rumor has reached this state, which, from the public 
prints, appears to be believed, that the commanding^ gen- 
eral of the northern army, may be removed from that 
command. This circumstance has induced me to reflect 
on the subject, and to give a decided preference to major 
general Harrison, as a successor. Having served a cam- 
paign with general Harrison, by which I have been en- 
abled to form some opinion of his military talents, and 
capacity to command, I feel no hesitation to declare to 
you, that I believe him to be one of the first military 
characters 1 ever knew; and, in addition to this, he is 
capable of making greater personal exertions than any 
officer with whom I have ever served. I doubt not but 
it will hereafter be found, that the command of the north- 
western army, and the various duties attached to it, has 
been one of the uiost arduous and difficult tasks, ever 
assigned to any officer in the United States; yet he sur- 
mounted all. 

" Impressed w ith the conviction, that general Harri- 
son is fully adequate to the command of the northern ar- 
my, should a change take place in that division, I have 
ventured thus freely to state my opinion of him, that he is 
a consummate general, and would fill that station with 
ability and honor; and, that if, on the other hand, any 
arrangement should take place in the war department, 
which may produce the resignation of general Harrison, 
it will be a misfortune which our country will have cause 
to lament. His appointment to the command of the 
northern army, would be highly gratifying to the wishes 
of the western people, except some who may, perhaps, 
be governed by sinister views. 

"I confess the first impressions upon my mind, when 
informed of the defeat of colonel Dudley's regiment, on 
the 5th of May last, were unfavorable to general Harri- 
son's plans ; but on correct information, and a knowledtre 
of his whole plans, I have no doubt but they were well 
concerted, and might, with certainty, have been executed 
8 



114 SKETCHES OF 

had his orders been strictly obeyed. I mention this sub- 
ject because Mr. H. Clay informed me that he had 
shewn you my letter, stating the impressions which that 
affair had first made upon my mind, on information that 
was not correct. 

" Hoping that my opinion of this meritorious officer will 
not be unacceptable to you, I have candidly expressed 
it, and hoping the apology stated in the preceding part 
of this letter, will justify the liberty taken of intruding 
opinions unsolicited. 

" I have the honor to be, most respectfully, 

" Your obedient servant, 
"ISAAC SHELBY. 
" His Excellency^ James Madison, President U. iS." 



CHAPTER X. 

Commissioner to treat with the Indians. — Elected to Congiess 
in 1816. — Investigation of his conduct in that body. — Effort 
in favor of the pension laws. — Speech in regard to Kosci- 
usko. — .Speech on General Jackson's conduct in the Seminole 
war. — Favors the independence of the South American Ro- 
publics. — A gold medal, and the thanks of Congress award- 
ed him. — Elected to the Legislature of Ohio, — Unfounded 
charge of having voted to sell white men imprisoned for 
debt. — Elected to the Senate of the United States. — Refutes 
Randolph's charge of federalism. — Minister to Colombia.— 
Letter to Bolivar. — Recalled by General Jackson. 

Having, from the causes stated in the previous chap- 
ter, resigned his commission in the army, general Harri- 
son returned to his farm at North Bend, fifteen miles 
below Cincinnati. During the summer of 1814, govern- 
ment appointed general Harrison, governor Shelby, and 
general Cass, to treat with the Indian tribes in the north- 
west. Governor Shelby declining on account of his offi- 
cial station, general Adair was selected to fiill his place. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 115 

A Iroaty was shortly afJerwards concluded by ihem, 
with the Indians, at Greenville. After the peace in 
1815, general Harrison was placed at the head of another 
coniniission, to treat with the Indians in regard to the 
restoration of the territory possessed by them before the 
■war. The council was held in Detroit, and a treaty 
made, which embraced nine important tribes. 

In 181G, general Harrison was elected to congress, 
from the district in which he resided, having received 
more than a thousand votes over the aggregate number 
given to his six competitors. An army contractor hav- 
ing about this time made some charges against general 
Harrison's conduct, while in com.mand in the west, he 
promptly invited an investigation. The committee in 
the house of representatives, by their chairman, R. M. 
Johnson, now vice-president of the United States, say in 
their report on this charge, made 23rd of January, 1817 : 
" The committee are unanimously of opinion, that gen- 
eral Harrison stands above suspicion, as to his having 
had any pecuniary or improper connection with the oflS- 
cers of the commissariat, for the supply of the army ; 
that he did not wantonly or improperly interfere with the 
rights of contractors ; and that he was in his measures 
governed by a proper zeal and devotion to the public in- 
terest." When the report was read, Mr. Hulbert, of 
Massachusetts, a member of the committee, made some 
explanations, and concluded with the following remark: 
"The most serious accusation against the general was, 
that while he was commander-in-chief in the west, re- 
gardless of his country's good, he was in the habit of 
managing the public concerns with a view to his own 
private interest and emolument. Mr. Hulbert said he 
could not refrain from pronouncing this a false and cruel 
accusation. He was confident that directly the reverse 
was true. There was the most satisfactory evidence, 
that the general, in the exercise of his official duties, 
in his devotion to the public interest, had neglected his 
private concerns to his material detriment and injury. 
In a word, said Mr. Hulbert, I feel myself authorized to 
say, that every member of the committee is fully satis- 
fied, that the conduct of general Harrison in relation to 



116 SKETCHES OF 

the subject matter of this inquiry, has been that of a 
brave, honest, and honorable man ; that, instead of de- 
servingr censure, he merits tlie thanks and applause of 
his country." 

Soon after general Harrison took his seat in congress, 
he was placed at the head of the committee on the mili- 
tia. Early in the session, he moved the following reso- 
lution, which was agreed to : 

^^ Resolved, That the military committee be instructed 
to report a bill providing by law for the relief of such 
of the officers and soldiers who, having faithfully served 
in the armies of the United States, are now^ in distressed 
circumstances, and who, not having received wounds or 
disabilities whilst in actual service, are excluded from 
the benefits of the pension laws." 

This resolution led the way for that measure "which 
encircles the fame of this republic with a glory the an- 
cient republics could not boast of, by exhibiting to the 
world the most beautiful example on record, of a na- 
tion's GRATITUDE." 

During this session, there was a bill before the house 
to increase the compensation of mennbers of congress, 
from six to nine dollars per day ; and on motion to strike 
out " nine" and insert "six" dollars as the daily pay, 
general Harrison said, that " in explaining what would 
otherwise appear an inconsistency in the vote he was 
about to give, he was aware that in order to preserve in 
congress talents of a proper grade, and to enable men of 
moderate property to come to that body without loss, a 
higher compensation was necessary than had heretofore 
been allowed to meml)ers of congress. But, said he, 
holding as we do, the key of the treasury, we ought not 
to do ourselves even justice, before we do it to others 
whose claims arc stronger^ and of longer standing. Whex- 

EVER JUSTICE SHALL BE DONE TO THE SUFFERERS IN THE 
WAR OF THE REVOLUTION, AND NOT TILL THEN, I SHALL BE 
PREPARED TO DO JUSTICE TO OURSELVES." 

Shortly afterwards, general Harrison offered a resolu- 
tion for a committee to report " what measures it may be 
proper to adopt to manifest the public respect for the 
memory of general Thaddeus Kosciusko, formerly an offi- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 117 

cer in the service of the United States, and the uniform 
and distinguished friend of liberty and the ri^jliis of 
man." On the presentation of this resolution, he made 
a most touchiiio: and eloquent appeal to the house, which 
concluded in these words ; 

" Such was the man, sir, for whose memory I ask from 
an American congress a slight tribute of respect. Not, 
sir, to perpetuate his fame, but our gratitude. His fame 
will last as long as liberty remains uj)oii the earth ; as 
long as a votary offers incense upon her altar, the name 
of Kosciusko will be invoked. And if, by the common 
consent of the world, a temple shall be erected to those 
who have rendered most service to mankind — if the statue 
of our great countryman shall (;ccupy the place of the 
* most worthy,' that of Kosciusko will be found at his 
side, and the wreath of laurel will be entwined with the 
palm of virtue, to adorn his brow." 

The career of general Harrison, in congress, proved 
that he was eminently qualified for the duties of a legis- 
lator. He exhibited, while a member of that body, an 
intimate familiarity with the civil and military aflfairs of 
the country, and the possession of a vigorr.-'s and culti- 
vated mind. As a debater, he was ready, fluent, and for- 
cible — always courteous and dignified, eminently liappy 
in illustrating his arcuments by the history of other na- 
tions, both ancient and modern, with the philosophy of 
which, his mind was deeply and accurately imbued. His 
speeches on the organization of the militia of the United 
States, the pension bill, the Seminole war, the recogni- 
tion of the independence of the South American repub- 
lics, may all be cited as masterly productions, teeming 
with deep pathos, pure patriotism, and eloquent argu- 
ment. 

"While general Harrison was in the house of repre- 
sentatives, the important debate arose, on the resolution 
to censure general Jackson for his conduct in the Semi- 
nole war; and he delivered on this subject a most elabo- 
rate and eloquent speech. It was one of the finest etTorts 
elicited by that interesting occasion ; but is chiefly admi- 
rable for its impartial and patriotic spirit. W hilo he 
disapproved the course of general Jackson, and comments 



118 SKETCHES OF 

ed on his conduct with the manly independence of a free- 
man, he defended such of the acts of that distinguished 
citizen as he thought right, and did justice to his mo- 
tives. His concluding remarks were as follows : 

" If the highest services could claim indemnity for 
crime, then might the conqueror of Platsea have been suf- 
fered to continue his usurpations until he had erected a 
throne upon the ruins of Grecian liberty. Sir, it will not 
be understood that I mean to compare general Jackson 
with these men. No; I believe that the principles of 
the patriot are as firmly fixed in his bosom as those of 
the soldier. But a republican government should make 
no distinctions between men, and should never relax its 
maxims of security for any individual, however distin- 
guished. No man should be allowed to say that he 
could do that with impunity which another could not do. 
If the father of his country were alive, and in the admin- 
istration of the government, and had authorized the ta- 
king of the Spanish posts, I would declare my disappro- 
bation as readily as I do now. Nay, more — because the 
more distinguished the individual, the more salutary the 
example. No one can tell how soon such an example 
may be beneficial. General Jackson will be faithful to 
his country; but I recollect that the virtues and patriot- 
ism of Fabius and Scipio, were soon followed by the 
crimes of Marius and the usurpation of Sylla. I am 
sure, sir, that it is not the intention of any gentleman 
upon this floor to rob general Jackson of a single ray of 
glory ; much less to wound his feelings, or injure his rep- 
utation. And whilst I thank my friend from Mississippi, 
'(Mr. Poindexter,) in the name of those who agree with 
me, that general Jackson has done wrong, I must be per- 
mitted to decline the use of the address which he has so 
obligingly prepared for us, and substitute the following, 
as more consonant to our views and opinions. If the res- 
oluti«ns pass, I would address him thus : ' In the per- 
formance of a sacred duty imposed by their construction 
of the constitution, the representatives of the people have 
found it necessary to disapprove a single act of your bril- 
liant career; they have done it in the full conviction that 
the hero who has guarded her rights in the field, will 



GENERAL HARRISON. 119 

bow with reverence to the civil institutions of his coun- 
try — that he has admitted as his creed, that the character 
of the soldier can never be complete without eternal ref- 
erence to the character of the citizen. Your country has 
done for you all that a country can do for the mfjst favor- 
ed of her sons. The a^e of deification is past; it was 
an age of tyranny and barbarism : the adoration of man 
should be addressed to his Creator alone. You have 
been feasted in the Pritanes of the cities. Your statue 
shall be placed in the capitol, and your name be found 
in the songs of the virgins. Go, gallant chief, and boar 
with you the gratitude of your country. Go, under the 
full conviction, that as her glory is identified with yours, 
she has nothing more dear to her but her laws, nothing 
more sacred but her constitution. Even an unintetitional 
error shall be sanctified to her service. It will teach 
posterity that the government which could disapprove 
the conduct of a Marcellns, will have the fortitude to 
crush the vices of a Marius.' 

"These sentiments, sir, lead to results iti which all 
must unite. Genera! Jackson will still live in the hearts 
of his fellow-citizens, and the constitution of your coun- 
try will be imn>ortal."* 

In 1S16, a resolution was introduced into tlie senate of 
the United States, voting- <rold medals and the thanks of 
congress, to Harrison and Shelby. Owinor to the oppo- 
sition of the war party, in that body, and certain charijes 
preferred against general Harrison, his name was stricken 
out by two votes in comrnUtee of the whole. On the ques- 
tion to concur in the amendment to strike out Harrison's 
name, it was lost by one vote. Here the proceedings of 
this session closed, general Harrison's name being re- 
tained, and the resolution laid over. On the 2-ltii of 
March, 1818, Mr. Dickerson, formerly governor of New 
Jersey, and late secretary of the navy under an appoint- 
ment from president Jackson, renewed the subject by 
offering anew, the same resolution, which he sustained 
by a strong eulogium on the military services of general 
Harrison ;°and, on the 30th, it passed the senate by a 



• Hall's Menioif. 



120 SKETCHES OF 

unaiximous vote. On the 31st, the house concurred in 
the resolution with only one dissenting voice, and on the 
6th of April it received the approval of the president. It 
is in these words : 

Resolved, by the senate and house of representatives 
of the United States of America in congress assembled, 
that the thanks of congress be, and they are hereby pre- 
sented to major general William Henry Harrison, and 
Isaac Shelby, late governor of Kentucky, and, through 
them, to the officers and men under their command, for 
their gallantry and good conduct in defeating the com- 
bined British and Indian forces under major general 
Proctor, on the Thames, in Upper Canada, en the 5th 
day of October, one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, 
capturing the British army, with their baggage, camp 
equipage, and artillery ; and that the president of the 
United States be requested to cause two medaJs to be 
struck, emblematical of ttiis triumph, and presented to 
general Harrison and Isaac Shelby, late governor of 
Kentucky. H. CLAY, 

Speaker of the House of Represent aiivcs. 
JOHN GAILLARD, 
President of the Senate, pro tempore* 

April 4, 1818. — Approved, 

JAMES MONROE. 

When governor Shelby heard of the effort in the sen- 
ate to strike out general Harrison's name, he wrote to his 
old commander, under date of May 16th, 1816, as fol- 
lows: "Don't let the conduct of the senate disturb your 
mind. I hope their resolution has been laid over as to 
both of us. The moment I heard of the course it was 
like to take, I wrote instantly to Mr. Clay, and express- 
ed my regret tliat it had been introduced, and how mor- 
tified I should feel to be noticed, if you were not in- 
cluded, who had rendered ten times more service to the 
nation than I had." This letter is as creditable to the 
generous disinterestedness of the governor, as it is to the 
public services of general Harrison. 

In the autumn of 1819, general Harrison was elected 
to the legislature of Ohio. One of his votes, while in 



GENERAL HARRISON. 121 

that body, having been greatly perverted, for parly pur- 
poses, ^ye deem it proper, in this place, to s»/t the maitor 
right. The charge is, that while in the senate of Ohio, 
he voted in favor of a hiw to sell white pcrscw^ imprison. rd 
under a judgmctit for debt, for a term if years, if uiuiblc 
otherwise to discharge the execution. This charge is un- 
true in every part. The law had no reference whatever 
to debtors — no such proposition was ever before the leg- 
islature of Ohio, nor could such a law be passed without 
a palpable violation of the constitution. It had respect 
solely to the mode of disposing o{ public nffetidtrs, who 
had been found guilty by a juW of citizens, of cringes 
agfainst the laws of liie state. By the act then in force, 
criminals of ditferent ages, sex and color, were crowded 
together in a common jail, where they were kept until 
their tines and the costs of prosecution'were paid. The 
new law, in favor of which general Harrison voted, con- 
tained a section, providing, that in cases where criminals 
were sentenced to confinement in jail, until payment was 
made of fme and costs of prosecution — this being a part 
of the sentence, — the commissioners of the county were 
authorized to compel them to work upon the public 
roads ; or, in their discretion, to hire them out to the best 
bidder, until their wages would discharge the fines, for 
the non-paymeru of which they were kept in prison. 
This disposition of young offenders, and especially of 
females, was certainly more humane than to suffer them 
to lie in jail — to work on the public roads, with a chain 
and ball upon their legs, or to be publicly whipped, as 
was provided for in the law for which this was to be the 
substitute. Whatever may be thought of its policy, one 
tiling is absolutely certain — the law for which general 
Harrison voted, had tw reference to perscms imprisoned for 
debt. Subsequently to the time when this vote was 
given, the general, in an exposition of it. remarked, »* I 
have said enough to show that this obnoxious law would 
not have applied to ' unfortunate debtors of sixty-four 
years,' but to infamous ojff'enders who depredate upon th« 
property of their fellow-citizens, and who, by the consti- 
tution of the state, as well as the principle of existing 
jaws, were subject to inveluntart/ servitude. I must con- 



122 SKETCHES OF 

fess I had no very sanguine expectations of a beneficial 
effect from the measure, as it would apply to convicts 
who had obtained the age of maturity; but I had sup- 
posed that a woman, or a youth, who, convicted of an 
offence, remained in jail for the payment of the fine and 
costs imposed, might with great advantage be transferred 
to the residence of some decent, virtuous private family, 
whose precept and example would gently lead them back 
to the paths of rectitude." 

In the autumn of 1822, general Harrison being a can- 
didate for congress, published a short address to the 
voters of his district, in which he sums up his political 
principles. We subjoin a portion of it, breathing the 
pure spirit of sound republicanism. 

*' I believe, that upon the preservation of the union of 
the states depends the existence of our civil and religious 
liberties; and that the cement which binds it together is 
not a parcel of words written upon paper or parchment, 
but the brotlierly love and regard which the citizens of 
the several states possess for each other. Destroy this, 
and the beautiful fabric which was reared and embellish- 
ed by our ancestors crumbles into ruins. From its dis- 
jointed parts no temple of liberty will again be reared. 
Discord and wars will succeed to peace and harmony — 
barbarism will again overspread the land; or, what is 
scarcely better, some kindly tyrant will promulgate the 
decrees of his will, from the seat where a Washington 
and a Jefferson dispensed the blessings of a free and 
equal government. I believe it, therefore, to be the duty 
of a representative to conciliate, by every possible means, 
the members of our great political family, and always to 
bear in mind that as the union was effected only by a spirit 
of mutual concession and forbearance,, so only can it be pre- 
served.''^ 

In the year 1824, the legislature of Ohio elected gene- 
ral Harrison to the senate of the United States, in which 
body, soon after taking his seat, he succeeded general 
Jackson as chairman of the committee on military affairs. 
While z member of that body, among other measures, he 
strongly advocated a bill giving a preference, in the ap- 
pointment of cadets to the military academy at West 



GENERAL HARRISON. 1*23 

Point, to the son.s of those tvho hadfallin in battlr^ in their 
country^ s service. 

While in the senate, Jolin Randolph, of Virginia, took 
occasion to renew an old charire aijainst general Harri- 
son, of his having been a black-cockade federalist of '98» 
and of having voted for the alien and sedition laws of that 
period. As soon as Mr. Randolph had taken his seat, 
general Harrison rose, and witli remarkable coolness and 
tennper, considering the virulent and unprovoked charac- 
ter of the attack, he observed: "that the extraordinary 
manner in which his name had been brouuht before the 
senate, by the senator from Virginia, probably required 
some notice from him, though he scarcely knew how to 
treat such a charge as had been advanced against him 
seriously. The gentleman had charfjed liim with being 
a black-cockade federalist of '98, and with having voted 
for the standing army and the alien and sedition laws. 
He had not so fertile a memory as the gentleman from 
Virginia, nor could he at command call up all the trans- 
actions of nearly thirty years ago. He could say, how- 
ever, that at the' time alluded to, he was not a party man 
in the sense the senator from Virginia used — lie was a 
delegate of a territory which was just then ri-iT)? into 
importance, and having no vote on the general questions 
before congress, it was neither his duty nor the interest 
of those whom he represented, to plunge into the turbu- 
lent sea of general politics which then agitated the na- 
tion. There were questions of great importance to the 
north-western territory then before congress, question* 
upon the proper settlement of which, the future pios{)tr- 
ity of that now important portion of the L'nion grtaily 
depended. Standing as he did, the sole representative of 
that territory, his greatest ambition was to prove himsrif 
faithful to his trust, by cherishing its interests, and no- 
thing could have been more suici«lal or pernicious to 
those he represented, than for him to exasperate either 
party by becoming a violent partisan, without the power 
of aidina either party, because he had no vote on nny po- 
litical question. This was his position, and although he 
had his political principles as firmly fixed as those of the 
gentleman from Virginia, it was no business of his to 



124 SKETCHES OF 

Strike where he cfould not be felt, and where the blow 
must recoil upon himself and those whom he represent- 
ed. He wore no cockade, black or tri-colored, at that 
(lay — and never wore one but when he was in the mili- 
tary service of his country. But he was seriously charg- 
ed with the heinous offence of associating with federal 
gentlemen. He plead guilty — he respected the revolu- 
tionary services of president Adams, and had paid him 
that courtesy which was due to him as a man and as 
chief magistrate. He also associated with such men as 
John Marshall and .Ta«ies A. Bayard — was the acknow- 
ledgment of such guilt to throw him out of the pale of 
political salvation ? 

" On the other hand, he was on intimate terms with Mr. 
Jefferson, Mr. Gallatin, and with the whole Virginia del- 
egation, among whom he had many kinsmen and dear 
friends. They were his principal associates in Philadel- 
phia, in whose mess he had often met the gentleman who 
was now his accuser, and with whom he had spent some 
of the happiest hours of his life. It was true, as the sena- 
tor alledged, he had been appointed governor of the north- 
western territory by John Adams — so had he been by 
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He was not in 
congress when the standing army was created, and the 
alien and sedition laws were passed, and if he had been 
he could not have voted for them, and would not if he 
could. It was not in his nature to be a violent or pro- 
scriptive partizan, but he had given a firm support to 
the republican administrations oif Jefferson, Madison and 
Monroe. He hoped the senator from Virginia was an- 
swered — he was sure the senate must be wearied with 
this frivolous and unprofitable squabble." 

In the latter part of the year 1828, president Adams 
appointed general Harrison minister plenipotentiary to 
the republic of Colombia. He reached Marycabo in 
December, and from thence proceeded to Bogota. Im- 
mediately after the inauguration of president Jackson, i-n 
1829, he recalled general Harrison, and appointed Mr. 
Thomas Moore, of Kentucky, in his place. 

While in Colombia, the proposition was entertained 
by one of the political parties, of putting aside the con- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 125 

stitution, and raisinrj IJoHvar to a dictatnrsliip, Durinjf 
the agitation of this question, yencral liarrisDn, as iho 
personal friend of J3olivar, and not in his jjllicial rapa- 
city, addressed him a letter on the suhjert of this change 
of government. This documeni, which ha» been rxifr>- 
sively circulated and greatly admired in the United 
States, is written with great force and rlefjance o( dic- 
tion, and breathes the pure spirit of re|)uhlican liberty. 
We have only room to cite the concluding jjaragraphs of 
this masterly production : 

" In relation to the effect which this investment of 
power is to hdve upon your happiness and your famr, 
will the pomp and glitter of a court, and the rtallrry of 
venal courtiers, reward you for the troubles and anxieties 
attendant upon the exercise of sovereignty, everywhere, 
and those which will flew from your peculiar situation 1 
Or power, supported by the bayonet, for that willmg 
homage which you were wont to receive from your fel- 
low-citizens 1 The groans of a dissatisfied and oppress- 
ed people will penetrate the inmost recesses of your pal- 
ace, and you will be tortured by the reflection, that you 
no longer possess that place in their aflections, which 
was once your pride and your boast, and wl.;'-h would 
have been your solace under every reverse of iorlune. 
Unsupported by the people, your authority can be mam- 
tained only, by the terrors of the sword and the scafl^old. 
And have these ever been successful under similar cir- 
cumstances 1 Blood may smother, for a period, but can 
never extinguish the fire of liberty, which you have con- 
tributed so much to kindle in the bosom of every Co- 
lombian. 

" I will not urge, as an argument, the personal dangers 
to which you will be exposed. But I will ask, if you 
could enjoy life, which would be preserved by the r u- 

stant execution of so many human heiucr^ — y«';- - 

men, your former friends, and almost yuur >n . ■ 

The pano-s of such a situation will be made more acute, 
by reflecTino- on the hallowed motive of many of ihowi 
who would'aim their daggers at your bosom. 'I hat. like 
the last of the Romans, they would strike, not from ha- 
tred to the man, but love to the country. 



126 SKETCHES OP 

"From a knowledge of your own disposition, and pres- 
ent feelings, your excellency will not be willing to 
believe, that you could ever be brought to commit an act 
of tyranny, or even to execute justice with unnecessary 
rigor. But trust me, sir, that there is nothing more cor- 
rupting, nothing more destructive of the noblest and 
finest feelings of our nature, than the exercise of unlim- 
ited power. The man who, in the beginning of such a 
career, might shudder at the idea of taking away the ' 
life of a fellow-being, might soon have his conscience 
so seared by the repetition of crime, that the agonies 
of his murdered victims might become music to his 
soul, and the drippings of his scaffold afford *' blood 
enough to swim in." History is full of such exam- 
ples. 

" From this disgusting picture, permit me to call the at* 
tention of your excellency to one of a different character. 
It exhibits you as the constitutional chief magistrate of 
a free people. Giving to their representatives the influ- 
ence of your great name and talents, to reform the abuses 
which, in a long reign of tyranny and misrule, have fas- 
tened upon every branch of the administration. The 
army, and its swarm of officers, reduced within the lim- 
its of real usefulness, placed on the frontiers, and no 
longer permitted to control public opinion, and be the 
terror of the peaceful citizen. By the removal of this 
incubus from the treasury, and the establishment of order, 
responsibility, and economy, in the expenditures of the 
government, it would soon be enabled to dispense with 
the odious monopolies, and the duty of the AlcavalUi 
which have operated with so malign an effect upon com- 
merce and agriculture; and, indeed, upon the revenues 
which they were intended to augment. No longer op- 
pressed by these shackles, industry would everywhere re- 
vive : the farmer and the artizan, cheered by the prospect 
of ample reward for their labor, would redouble their ex- 
ertions : foreigners, with their capital and skill in the arts, 
would crowd hither, to enjoy the advantages which could 
scarcely elsewhere be found : and Colombia would soon 
exhibit the reality of the beautiful fiction of Fenelon — 
Salenlum rising from misery and oppression, to prosper- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 127 

ity and happiness, under the councils and dirrclion of 
the concealed goddess. 

" What objections can bo iirfted against tliis course 1 
Can any one, acquainted with the circumstances of the 
country, doubt its success, in reslorincr and maintaining 
tranquillity? The people would certainly not revolt 
against themselves ; and none of the chiefs who are sup- 
posed to be factionsly inclined, would think of oppDsuifr 
the strength of the nation, when directed by your talents 
and authority. But it is said, that the want of intelli- 
gence amongst the people unfits them for the govern- 
ment. Is it not right, however, that the expr-riment 
should be fairly tried? I have already said, that this 
has not been done. For myself, I do Rot hesitate to de- 
clare my firm belief, that it will succeed. The people 
of Colombia possess many traits of character, suitable 
for a republican government. A more orderly, forbear- 
ing, and w'ell-disposed people are nowhere to be met with. 
Indeed, it may safely be asserted, that their faults and 
vices are attributable to the cursed crovernmont to which 
they have been so long subjected, and to the intolerant 
character of the reliorion, whilst their virtues are all their 
own. But admitting their present want of iiuellioence, 
no one has ever doubted their capacity to acquire knowl- 
edge, and under the stronfj motives which exist, to obtain 
it, supported by the influence of your excellency, it 
would soon be obtained. 

"To yourself, the advantage would be as great as to 
the country ; like acts of mercy, the blessings would be 
reciprocal; your personal happiness secured, and your 
fame elevated to a height which would leave but a sin- 
gle competition in the estimation of posterity. In be- 
stowing the palm of merit, the world has become wiser 
than formerly. The successful warrif>r is no longer 
regarded as entitled to the fust place in the temple ot 
fame. Talents of this kind have become too common, 
and too often used for mischievous purposes, to be n»- 
garded as they once were. In this enlijrhtencd age, th« 
mere hero of the field, and the successful leader of ar- 
mies, may, for the moment, attract attention. Hut it will 
be such as is bestowed upon the passing inbtcor, whose 



128 SKETCHES OF 

blaze is no longer remembered, when it is no longer 
seen. To be esteemed eminently great, it is necessary 
to be eminently good. The qualities of the hero and the 
general must be devoted to the advantage of mankind, 
before he will be permitted to assume the title of their 
benefactor; and the station which he will hold in their 
regard and affections will depend, not upon the number 
and the splendor of his victories ; but upon the results 
and the use he may make of the influence he acquires 
from them. 

" If the fame of our Washington depended upon his 
military achievements, would the common consent of tlte 
world allow him the pre-eminence he possesses? The 
victories at Trenton, Alonmouth, and York, brilliant as 
they were — oxhihiting, as they certainly did, the highest 
grade of military talents, are scarcely thought of. The 
source of the veneration and esteem which is entertained 
for his character, by every description of politicians — the 
monarchist and aristocrat, as well as the republican, is 
to be found in his undeviating and exclusive devotedness 
to the interest of his country. No selfish consideration 
was ever suffered to intrude itself into his mind. For 
his country he conquered ; and the unrivalled and in- 
creasinij prosperity of that country is constantly adding 
fresh glory to his name. General ; the course which he 
pursued is open to you, and it depends upon yourself to 
attain the eminence which he has reached before you. 

" To the eyes of military men, the laurels you won on 
the fields of Vargas, Bayaca, and Carebobo, will be for- 
ever green ; but will that content you 1 Are you willing 
that your name should descend to posterity, amongst the 
mass of those whose fame has been dejived from shed- 
ding human blood, without a single advantage to the hu- 
man race ? Or, shall it be united to that of Washing- 
ton, as the founder and the father of a great and happy 
people? The choice is before you. The friends of lib- 
erty throughout the world, and the people of the United 
States in particular, are waiting your decision with in- 
tense anxiety. Alexander toiled and conquered to attain 
the applause of the Athenians ; will you regard as noth- 
ing the opinions of a nation which has evinced its supe- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 129 

riority over that celebrated people, in the science most 
useful to man, by bavins: carried into actual practice a 
system of government, of which the wisest Athenians hnd 
but a glimpse in theory, and considered as a blessing 
never to be realized, however ardently to be desired! 
The place which you are to occupy in their esteem de- 
pends upon yourself," 

It has been stated that general Harrison was recalled 
from Colombia in consequence of his interference in the 
internal affairs of the republic. Tiiis is not the fact. He 
reached Bogota on the 5th of February, 1829. Presi- 
dent Jackson was inaugurated on the 4th of March of 
that year, and Mr. Moore was appointed to iliis office oa 
the Sth. It is therefore impossible that the president 
could even have known of general Harrison's arrival at 
the seat of government, when he was recalled. Mr. 
Moore reached Bogota in September, and on the •2Gth of 
that month, general Harrison had his audience of leave. 
On that occasion, the president of the council said to 
him : " In expressing to you, sir, the sentiments of the 
council towards your government, it is agreeable to me 
to declare, that the hopes formed by Colombia, when the 
appointment was announced of so distinguished a gen- 
eral, and one of the most eminent citizens of the oldest 
republic of America, have been realized by your resi- 
dence in this capital, as envoy extraordifiary, and minis- 
ter plenipotentiary near this government; and, iherefore, 
it is highly satisfactory to me, to show ihe high esteem 
which your personal qualities have inspired." At the 
time when this address was made, Bolivar was absent 
from Bogota, and the president of the council was ad- 
ministering the affairs of the government. His address 
to general Harrison, the concluding paragraphs of which 
have been quoted, clearly demonstrates that our minister 
had discharged the duties of his station witii dignity, 
prudence and ability. 
9 



130 SKETCHES OF 



CHAPTER XL 

(/olonel Johnson's speech in Congress. — General Harrison's 
Cheviot address. — His address in 1832, in regard to slavery. 
— Vincennes speech about Abolition. — His speech at the 
47th anniversary celebration of the settlement of Ohio. — His- 
torical discourse on the aborigines of the Ohio. 

After general Harrison's return from Colombia, he 
retired to his farm and resumed the peaceful pursuits of 
a;?riculture. In June, 1831, he was chosen to deliver the 
annual discourse before the Hamilton county Agricultu- 
ral Society. In this address, he gave evidence of being 
a sound practical farmer, combining theory and practice, 
in regard to crops and herds, with the same ready suc- 
cess, that in other days he had applied military princi- 
ples to the movement of armies. A single extract from 
this valuable discourse, is all that our limits will per- 
mit: 

" The encouragement of agriculture, gentlemen, would 
be praiseworthy in any country : in our own it is pecu- 
liarly so. Not only to multiply the means and enj.oy- 
ment of life, but as givinjj greater stability and securi- 
ty to our political institutions. In all ages and in aii 
countries, it has been observed, that the cultivators of 
the soil, are those who were least willing to part with 
their rights, and submit themselves to the will of a mas- 
ter. I have no doubt also, that a taste for agfricultural 
pursuits, is the best means of disciplining the ambition 
of those daring spirits, who occasionally spring up in 
the world, for good or for evil, to defend or destroy the 
liberties of their fellow-men, as the principles received 
from education or circumstances may tend. As long as 
the leaders of the Roman armies were taken from the 
plough, to the plough they were willing to return. Never 
in the character of general, forgetting the duties of the 
citizen, and ever ready to exchange the sword and the 
triumphal purple, for the homely vestments of the hus- 
bandman. 



1 



GENERAL HARRISON. 131 

" The history of this far-famed rcpuhiic is full of instan- 
ces of this kind; but none more remarkable than our 
own age and country have produced. 'I'he fascinations 
of power and the trappings of command, were as much 
despised, and the enjoyment of rural scenes, and rural 
employments as highly prized by our Washington, as 
by Cincinnatcs or Regulus. At the close of his glori- 
ous military career, he says, '1 am preparirig to return to 
that domestic retirement which it is well known I left 
with the deepest regret, and for which I have not ceased 
to sigh through a long and painful absence.' 

" Your efforts, gentlemen, to diffuse a taste for agricul- 
ture amongst men of all descriptions and professions, 
may produce results more important even than increas- 
ing the means of subsistence, and the enjoyment of life. 
It may cause some future conqueror for his country, to 
end his career 

** Guiltless of his cmmtry's blood." 
* * * * i^ * * 

" To the heart-cheering prospect of flocks and herds 
feeding on unrivalled pastures, fields of grain, exhibiting 
the scriptural proof that the seed had bet n .•'! ;t on good 
ground — how often is the eye of the philanthropic travel- 
er disgusted with the dark, unsightly manttfactories of 
a certain poison — ]>oison to the body and the soul. A 
modern jEneas or Ulysses might mistake them for en- 
trances into the Infernal Regions; nor would they great- 
ly err. But unlike those passages which conducted the 
Grecian and Trojan heroes on their pious errands, the 
scenes to v/hich these conduct the unhappy wretch who 
shall enter are those, exclusively, of misery and woe. 
No relief to the sad picture; no Tartarus therf, no Ely- 
sium here. It is all Tartarian darkness, and, not un- 
frequently, Tartarian crime. I speak n)ore freely of the 
practice of converting the material of the 'staff of life' 
(and by which so many human beings yearly perish) 
into an article which is so destructive of health and hap- 
piness, because in that way I have sinned myself; but 
in thai way I shall sin no morcJ'^ * 

*Some years since, general Harrison ostablUhcd a distillery 



132 SKETCHES OF 

In 1831, pendinnr an application in congress for the 
settlement of the accounts of J. Symmes Harrison, late 
Receiver of public monies at Vincennes, colonel Richard 
M. Johnson, now vice-president of the United States, in 
alluding to the father of the late Receiver, spontaneously 
bore the following well merited tribute to his old com- 
mander : 

" Who is general Harrison? The son of one of the 
signers of the declaration of independence, who spent 
the (Treater part of his large fortune in redeeming the 
pledge he then gave, of his ' fortune, life and sacred hon- 
or,' t'j secure the liberties of his country. 

"Of the career of general Harrison I need not speak — 
the history of the west, is his history. For forty years 
he has been identified with its interests, its perils and its 
hopes. Universally beloved in the walks of peace, and 
distinguished by his ability in the councils of his coun- 
try, he has been yet more illustriously distinguished in 
the field. 

" During the late war, he was longer in active service 
than any other general officer; he was, perhaps, oftener 
in action than any one of them, and never sustained a 
defeat." 

In 1833, general Harrison delivered, by appointment, 
at Cheviot, Hamilton county, Ohio, an address in com- 
memoration of the 4th of July, which was subsequently 
published by the committee of arrangements. It pre- 
sents a summary of the causes which led to the revolu- 
tionary war, and a lucid exposition of the constitution of 
the United States. His interpretation of that instrument 
is in strict accordance with the celebrated resolutions of 
Virginia and Kentucky, of 1798. 

Being desirous of making a fair representation of the 
views of general Harrison, on all important public mat- 
ters, we now introduce two documents touching his opin- 

on his farm, to convert his surplus corn into wliiskey. Soon 
perceivins; the bad consequences of such a manufactory, upon 
the surrounding population, he cheerfully encountered pecunia- 
ry sacrifice by abolishing his manufactory of that baneful ar- 
ticle. 



GENERAL HARRISON*. 133 

Ions on tlie siiI)joct of slavery. In the year 1822, wlinn 
he was a can(ii.|f»te for con«»rrss, his opponents, lV»r Uie 
purpose of dpfcatitiir his «»l«^ction, charrrcd him wiili \>e- 
iiis; a pro-slavery man — that he liad oun-'d slaves, and 
had been in favor of introducing slavery into Indiana. 
In refutation of this sweepinor ctiarfre, general Il.irrisnn 
published an address, from whieh we take all of that por- 
tion relating to the subject of slavery. It is in these 
words : 

*' Being called suddenly home to attend my sick fam- 
ily, I have but a moment to answer a few of the calum- 
nies which are in circulation concerning me. 

"I am accused of being friendly to slavery. From 
my earliest youth to the present moment, I have been 
the ardent friejid of Human Liberty. At the age of eiijh- 
teen, I became a member vf an Abolition Society establish- 
ed at Richmond, Virginia; the object of which was to 
ameliorate the condition of slaves and procure their free- 
dom by every legal means. My venerable friend, Judtre 
Gatch, of Clermont county, was also a member of this 
society, and has lately given me a certificate that I was 
one. The obligations which I then came under I have 
faithfully performed. I have been the means of liberating 
many slaves, but never placed one in bondage. I deny 
that my vote in congress in relation to Missouri and 
Arkansas, are in the least incompatible with these prin- 
ciples. Congress had no more legal or constitutional 
right to emancipate the negroes in those sections.of Lou- 
isiana without the cofisent of their owners, than they 
have to free those of Kentucky. These people were 
secured in their property by a sob-mn covenant with 
France when the countfv was purchased from that pow- 
er. To prohibit the emiizration of citizens of the south- 
ern states to the part of the country, the situation and 
climate of which, was peculiarly suited to them, would 
have been highly unjust, as it had been purchased out of 
the common fund. Particularly, too, when it is recollect- 
ed that all the immense territory to the north-west of the 
Ohio had been ceded by Virciiiiia, and with an unexampled 
liberality, she had herself proposed, that by excluding 
slavery "from it, to secure it for the emigration of those 



134 SKETCHES OF 

states which had no slaves. Was it proper, then, when 
her reserved territory was in a great measure filled up, 
to exclude her citizens from every part of the territory pur- 
chased out of the common fund ? I was tJie first person to 
introduce into congress the proposition that all the country 
above Missouri (which having no inhabitants was free from 
the objection made to Missouri and Arkansas) should ne- 
ver fiave slavery admitted into it. I repeat what I have be- 
fore said, that as our union was only effected by mutual 
concession, so only can it be j)reserved. 

" My vote against the restriction of Missouri in form- 
ing her constitution was not a conclusive one ; there 
would have been time enoufjh, had I continued to be a 
member, before the question was decided, for my consti- 
tuents to have instructed me, and I shoald have rejoicea 
in an opportunity of sacrificing my seat to my principles, 
if they had instructed me in opposition to my construc- 
tion of the constitution. Like many other members from 
the non-slaveholding states, of whom I mention Shaw, 
Holmes, Mason of Massachusetts, Laman of Connec- 
ticut, and Baldwin of Pennsylvania, I could see nothing 
in the constitution which 1 had sworn to .support, to 
warrant such an interference with the rights of the 
states, and which had never before been attempted. 
And where is the crime in one set of men not beino' 
able to interpret the constitution as other men interpret 
it 1 As we had all sworn to support it, the crime 
would have been in giving it a construction which our 
consciences would not sanction. And let me ask, for 
what good is this question again brought up 1 It has 
been settled, as all our family ditferences have been set- 
tled, on the firm basis of mutual compromise. And pat- 
riotism, as well as prudence, devoted the eflfects of that 
aiuful discussion to eternal oblivion. Is it not known, 
that from that cause the great fabric of our Union was 
shaken to its foundation ? Is it not known that Missou- 
ri would not have submitted to the restriction, and that 
the other slave-holding states had determined to support 
herl But for this compromise, the probability is, that 
at this moment we might look upon the opposite shore 
of Ohio, not for an affectionate sister state, but on an 



GENERAL HARRISON. 135 

armed and implacable rival. What patriotic man would 
not join the gallant Eaton in execrating the head and the 
hand that could devise and execute a scheme productive 
of a calamity so awful 1 

" Upon the whole, fellow-citizens, our path is a plain 
one ; it is that marked out as well by humanity as duty. 
We cannot emancipate the slaves of the other states 
without their consent, hut by producing a convulsion 
which would undo us all. For this much to be desired 
event, we must wait the slow but certain progress of 
those good principles which are every where gaining 
ground, and wh-ich assuredly will ultimately prevail." 

It is proper to remark, that this society, originally 
established by the Quakers, but not confined to them, 
was, according to the statement of Judge Gatch, a " Hu- 
mane Society ;" and it seems to have been of a character 
to which no exceptions were taken in V^irginia. A num- 
ber of the citizens of Richmond were members, and its 
principles were not understood to be at all in conflict 
with the rights guarantied to the owners of slaves, by 
the constitution and the laws of the land. Within a 
few months after his first connection with this society, 
general Harrison, then but eighteen years of age, re- 
moved from Virtjinia, since which time he has never at- 
tended one of its meetings, nor been either directly or 
indirectly connected with any society touching the ques- 
tion of slavery. 

The other document upon this subject, is taken from a 
speech made by general Harrison, at Vincennes, Indiana, 
in May, 1835, on the occasion of a public dinner having 
been given to him by the citizens of that place. 

"I have now, fellow-citizens, a few more words to 
say on another subject, and which is, in my opinion, of 
more importance than any other that is now in the course 
of discussion in any part of the Union. I allude to the 
societies which have been formed, and the movements 
of certain individuals in some of the states in relation to 
a portion of the population in others. The conduct of 
these persons is the more dangrerous, because their object 
is masked under the carb of disinterestedness and bene- 
volence; and their course vindicated by arguments and 



136 SKETCHES OF 

propositions which, in the abstract, no one can deny. 
But, however fascinating may be the dress with which 
their schemes are presented to their fellow-citizens, with 
whatever purity of intention they may have been formed 
and sustained, they will be found to carry in their train 
mischief to the whole Union, and horrors to a largre por- 
tion of it, which, it is probahle, some of the projectors 
and many of their supporters have never thought of; the 
latter, the first in the series of evils which are to sprinnr 
from their source, are such as you have seen perpetrated 
on the fair plains of Italy and Gaul, by the Scythian 
hordes of Attila and Alaric; and such as most of yru 
apprehended upon that memorable night, when the toma- 
hawks and war clubs of the followers of Tecumthe were 
rattling in your suburbs. I regard not the disavowals 
of any such intention upon the part of the authors of 
these schemes, since, upon the examination of the publi- 
cations which have been made, they will be found to con- 
fcdin the very facts, and very arguments which they would 
have used, if such had been their object. I am certain 
that there is not, in this assembly, one of these deluded 
men, and that there are few within the bounds of the 
state. If there are any, I would earnestly entreat them 
to forbear; to pause in their career, and deliberately con- 
sider the consequence of their conduct to the whole 
Union, to the states more immediately interested, and to 
those for whose benefit they profess to act. That the 
latter will be the victims of the weak, injudicious, pre- 
sumptuous and unconstitutional efforts to serve them, a 
thorough examination of the subject must convince them. 
The struggle (and strugorle there must be) may com- 
mence with horrors such as I have described, but it will 
end with more firmly riveting the chains, or in the utter 
extirpation of those whose cause they advocate. 

" Am I wrong, fellow-citizens, in applying the terms 
weak, presumptuous and unconstitutional, to the mea- 
sures of the emancipators 1 A slight examination will, 
I think, show that I am not. In a vindication of the 
objects of a convention which was lately held in one of 
the towns of Ohio, which I saw in a newspaper, it was 
said that nothing more was intended than to produce a 



1 



GENERAL HARRISON. 1^7 

stato of public feelin<T which would lead to an airuMid- 
ment of the constitution, autiiorizin^ the abolition of 
slavery in the United States. Now can an amendment 
of the constitution be effected without the consent of 
the southern States? What then is the propf)sition to 
be submitted to them 1 It is this: — 'The present pro- 
visions of the constitution secure to you the right (a 
rijrht which you held before it was made, which you 
have never given up,) to manage your domestic concerns 
in your own way; but as we are convinced that you do 
not maiiagt^ them properly, we want you to put in the 
hands of the general government, in the councils of 
which we have the majority, the control over these mat- 
ters, the effect of which wfll be virtually to transfer the 
power from yours into our hands.' Again, in some of 
the states, and in sections of others, the black popula- 
tion far exceeds that of the white. Some of the emanci- 
pators propose immediate abolition. What is the pro- 
position then, as it regards the states and parts of states, 
but tlie alternatives of amalgamation with the blacks, or 
an exchannre of situations with them 1 Is there any 
man of common sense who does not believe that the 
emancipated hiacks, being a majority, will not insist up- 
on a full participation of political rights with the whites ; 
and when possessed of these, they will not contend for a 
full share of social rights also? What but the extremity 
of weakness and folly could induce any one to think, 
that such propositions as these could be listened to by a 
people so intelligent as the southern states 1 Further; 
the emancipators" generally declare that it is their inten- 
tion to effect their object (although their acts contradict 
their assertion,) by no other means than by convincing 
the slave-holders that the emancipation of the slaves is 
called for, both by moral obligation and sound policy. 
An unfledcred youth, at the moment of his leaving 
(indeed, in' many instances, before he has left it,) his 
theological seminary, undertakes to give lectures up- 
on mo'rals to the countrymen of Wythe, 'I'ucker, Pen- 
dleton and Lowndes, and lessons of political wisdom to 
states, whose affairs have so recently been directed by 
Jeflferson and Madison, Macon and Crawford. Is it 



138 SKETCHES OF 

possible, that instances of oreater vanity and presump- 
tion could be exhibited ? But the course pursued by the 
emancipators is unconstitutional. I do not say that there 
are any words in the constitution which forbid the dis- 
cussions they are engaored in ; I know that there are not. 
And citizens have the right to express and publish their 
opinions without restriction. But in the construction of 
the constitution, it is always necessary to refer to the 
circumstances under which it was framed, and to ascer- 
tain its meaning by a comparison of its provisions with 
each other, and with the pr»'vious situation of the several 
states who were parties to it. In a portion of these, sla- 
very was recognized, and they took care to have the 
right secured to them; to follow and reclaim such of 
them as were fugitives to other states. The laws of con- 
gress passed under this power, have provided punishment 
for any one who shall oppose or interrupt the exercise 
of this right. Now can any ©ne believe, that the instru- 
ment which contains a provision of this kind, which au- 
thorizes a master to pursue his slave into another state, 
take him back, and provides a punishment for any citi- 
zen or citizens of that state who should oppose hini, 
should, at the same time, authorize the latter to assemble 
together, to pass resolutions and adopt addresses, not only 
to encourage the slaves to leave their masters, but to cut 
their throats before they do so 1 

" I insist, that if the citizens of the non-slaveholding 
states can avail themselves of the article of the constitu- 
tion, which prohibits the restriction of speech or the press 
to publish anything injurious to the rights of the slave- 
holding states, that they can go to the extreme that I 
have mentioned, and effect any thing further which wri- 
ting or speaking could effect. But, fellow-citizens, these 
are not the principles of the constitution. Such a con- 
struction would defeat one of the great objects of its for- 
mation, which was that of securing the peace and harmony 
of the states which were parties to it. The liberty of 
speech and of the press, were given as the most effectual 
means to preserve to each and every citizen their own 
rights, and to the states the rights which appertained 
to them, at the time of their adoption. It could never 



?*' 



GENERAL HARRISON, 139 

have been expected that it would be used by the citizens 
of one portion of the states for the purpose of deprivinrj 
those of anotiier portion, of the ritrhu? which they Irad 
reserved at the adoption of the coJisiitution, and in the 
exercise of which, none but themselves have any con- 
cern or interest. If slavery is an evil, the evil is with 
them. If there is gruilt in it, the guilt is theirs, not ours, 
since neither the states where it does not exist, nor the 
government of the United States can, without usurpation 
of power, and the violation of a solemn compact, do any- 
thing to remove it without the consent of those who are 
immediately interested. But they will neither ask for 
aid nor consent to be aided, whilst the illegal, persecuting 
and dangerous movements are in progress, of which I 
complain: the interest of all concerned requires that 
these should be stopped immediately. This can only be 
done by the force of public opinion, and that cannot too 
soon be brought into operation. Every movement which 
is made by the abolitionists in the non-sla\ eholding states, 
is viewed by onr southern brethren as an attack upon 
their rights, and which, if persisted in, mtist in the end 
eradicate those feelings of attachment and aflfeciion be- 
tween the citizens of all the states, which was produced 
by a community of interests and dangers in the war of the 
revolution, which was the foundation of our happy union, 
and by a continuance of which, it can alone be preserved. 
I entreat you, then, to frown upon the measures which 
are to produce results so much to be deprecated. The 
opinions which I have now given, I have omitted no op- 
portunity for the last two years to lay before the people of 
my own state. I have taken the liberty to express them 
here, knowing that even if thev should unf rtunatelv not 
accord with yours, they would be kindly ree»Mved." 

The attempt has been made to show that these two 
documents are inconsistent with each other. A careful 
comparison of them, however, must bring the candid en- 
quirer for truth, to a different conclusion. On this, as 
well as upon all other questions upon which general 
Harrison was called to act or express himself, there 
is an exhibition of the same consistency of opinion and 
character which marked the whole of his eventful life. 



140 SKETCHES OF 

In 1835, at the celebration of the 47th anniversary 
of the settlement of Ohio, held in Cincinnati, general 
Harrison was among the invited guests; and in reply to 
some complimetitary toast, offrred by the committee ©f 
arrangement, referring to general Wayne and himself, 
g^eneral Harrison took occasion to speak of the claims of 
the subf>r(iinate officers, non-commissioned officers and 
privates of ilie regular army in the west, under Harmer, 
St. Clair and Wayne, who brought the war of the revo- 
lution to a close hy the victory of the Miami of the Lake. 
In this address, the claims of these snldiors were present- 
ed in a strong, touching and bcauiiful manner. From 
the many aihnirahlo sentiments contained in this speech, 
we cannot forbear quoting the following: "No more 
fatal idea can be entertained than that onr republic is to 
be preserved, either by the wealth of our citizens or the 
anjount of the revenue of the government. The bright- 
est eras of the rej)ublics which have existed, were thos«» 
when honorable poverty prevailed, and when patriotism 
was best rewarded." 

In the autuuin of 1837, general Harrison delivered a 
discourse before the Philosophical and Historical Society 
of Ohio, on the aborigines of the Ohio, which has since 
been published in the first volume of the Transactions of 
that body. It embraces about fifty pages of the work, 
and is among the most valuable contributions which 
have yet been made to that society. This discourse, 
written with classic elegance, in pure Saxon, is ingenious 
and profound, presenting the results of much close and 
accurate observation upon the ancient works and aborigi- 
nes of the valley of the Ohio. Having space but for a 
sincrle extract, we take the following, on the reproduction 
of the forest upon the banks of the Ohio, after it has once 
been destrf>yed. The subject is introduced by the author 
to prove the great antiquity of the ancient mounds and 
fortifications of this region. 

" The process by which nature restores the forest to its 
original state, after being once cleared, is extremely slow. 
In our rich lands, it is, indeed, soon covered again with 
limber, but the character of the growth is entirely differ- 
ent, and continues so, through many generations of men. 



i 



GENERAL HARRISON. 1 1 1 

In several places on tlie Ohio, particularly upon the 
farm which I occupy, clearinrrs were made in ihe first 
settlement, abandoned, and sulTered to {jrow up. Some 
of them, now to be seen, of nearly fifty years' growth, 
have made so little progress towards attaining the ap- 
pearance of the immediately continruous forest, as to in- 
duce any man of reflection, to determine, that at least ten 
times fifty years would be necessary before its comj)hue 
assimilation could be effected. The sites of the ancient 
works on the Ohio, present precisely the same appearance 
as the circumjacent forest. You find on them, all that 
beautiful variety of trees, which gives sucli ufirivalled 
richness to our forests. This is particularly the case on 
the fifteen acres included within the walls of the work 
at the month of the Great Miami, and the relative pro- 
portions of the different kinds of timber, are about the 
same. The first jTrowth on the same kind of land, once 
cleared, and then abandoned to nature, on the contrary, 
is more homogeneous — often stinted to one, or two, or at 
most three kinds of timber. If the ground has been cul- 
tivated, yellow locust, in many places, will spring up as 
thick as garden peas. If it has not been cultivated, the 
black and white walnut will be the prevailinrr orowth. 
The rapidity with which these trees grow for a time, 
smothers tlie attempt of other kinds to vegetate and grow 
in their shade. The more thrifty individuals soon over- 
top the weaker of their own kind, which sicken and die. 
In this way, there is soon only as many left as the earth 
will well support to maturity. All this time the squir- 
rels may plant the seed of those trees which serve them 
for food, and by neglect suflTer them to remain, — it will 
be in vain ; the birds may drop the kernels, the ex- 
ternal pulp of which have contributed to their ncirish- 
ment, and divested of which they are in the best state for 
germinating, still it will be of no avail: the winds of 
heaven may waft the winged seeds of the sycamore, cot- 
ton-wood and maple, and a friendly shower ruay bury 
them to the necessary depth in the loose and fertile soil — 
but still without success. The roots below rob them 
of moisture, and the canopy of limbs and leaves above 
intercept the rays of the sun, and the dews of heaven : tlie 



142 SKETCHES OF 

young giants in possession, like another kind of aristoc- 
racy, absorb the whole means of subsistence, and leave 
the mass to perish at their feet. This state of things 
will not, however, always continue. If the process of 
nature is slow and circuitous, in puttini^ down usurpa- 
tion and establishing the equality which she loves, and 
which is the great characteristic of her principles, it is 
sure and efTecutal. The preference of tlie soil for the 
first growth, ceases with its maturity. It admits of no suc- 
cession, upon the principles of legitimacy. The long un- 
disputed masters of the forest may be thinned by the 
lightning, the tempest, or by diseases peculiar to them- 
selves ; and whenever this is the case, one of the oft-re- 
jected of another family, will tind between its decaying 
roots, shelter and appropriate food; and, springing into 
vijnrous growth, will sonn push its ^reen foliage to the 
skies, through the decayed and witherinjr limbs of its 
blasted and dying adversary — the soil itself, yielding it a 
more liberal support than any scion from the former oc- 
cupant. It will easily be conceived what a length of 
time it will require for a denuded tract of land, by a pro- 
cess so slow, aorain to clothe itself with the amazinor va- 
nety of foliage which is the characteristic of the forests 
of this region. Of what immense age, then, must be 
those works, so often referred to, covered, as has been 
supposed by those who have the best opportunity of ex- 
amining them, with the second growth after the ancient 
forest state had been regained 7^^ 



CHAPTER XII. 

General Harrison's first nomination for the presidency. — His 
letter to Sherrod Williams. — His opinions upon duelling. — 
His letter to Harmer Denny, on the principles upon which 
the government should be administered. — Second nomination 
for the presidency, December, 1839. 

In the autumn of this year, by a spontaneous move- 
ment of the people, in different parts of the Union, gene- 



I 



GENERAL HARRISON. 148 

lal Harrison was nominated as a candidate for the presi- 
dency. The late period in the canvass, at which this 
movement was made, prevented that concentration of ac- 
tion among his friends, necessary to secure his election ; 
but, under this disadvantajje, and with their other candi- 
dates in tlie field, he received seventy-two electoral votes. 
In the fifteen states in which Mr. Van IJuren and jreneral 
Harrison were alone opposed to each other, the former 
received five hundred and ci<;hty thousand, and the latter 
five hundred and fifty-two thousand votes, being- a ma- 
jority of less than thirty thousand for Mr. Van Buren. 
This fact evinces — all circumstances considered — the re- 
markable popularity of general Harrison with the peo])le 
of the United States. 

During this canvass, Sherrod Williams, Esq. a mem- 
ber of congress from Kentucky, addressed a letter of en- 
quiry to general Harrison, on certain political matters, 
which drew forth the following reply : 

North Bend, May 1, 1836 

Sir: — 1 have the honor to acknowledge ihc receipt of 
your letter of the 7th ultimo, in which you request me to 
answer the following qupstions : 

1st. " Will you, if elected president of the United 
States, sign and approve a bill distributing the surplus 
revenue of the United States, to each state accordiricr to 
the federal population of each, for internal improvement, 
education, and to such other objects as the legislature of 
the several states may see fit to apply the same ?" 

2nd. " Will you sign and approve a bill distributing 
the proceeds of the sales of the public lands to each 
State, according to the federal population of each, for the 
purposes above specified ]" 

3d. " Will you sign and approve bills making appropri- 
ations to improve navigable streams above ports of entryl" 

4th. " Will you sign and approve (if it becomes ne- 
cessary to secure and save from depreciation the revenue 
and finances of the nation, and to afford a uniform sound 
currency to the people of the United States) a bill, with 
proper modifications and restricrions, chartering a bank 
of the United States?" 



144 SKETCHES OF 

5th, " What is your opinion as to the constitutional 
power of the senate or house of representatives of the 
congress of the United States, to expunfje or obliterate 
frum the journals the records and proceedings of a previ- 
ous session ]" 

From the manner in which the four first questions are 
stated, it appears that you do not ask my opinion as to 
the policy or propri(>ty of the measures to which they 
respectively refer; but what would be my course, if they 
were presented to me (being in the presidential chair of 
the United States) in the shape of bills, that had been 
duly passed by the senate and house of representatives. 

From the opinions whhh I have formed of the inten- 
tion of the constitution, as to cases in which the veto 
power should be exercised by the president, I would 
nave contented myself with givincr an affirmntive answer 
to the four first questions ; hut, from the deep interest 
which has been and indeed is now felt in relation to all 
the subjects, I think it proper to express my vievt's upon 
each one separately. 

I answer, then, 1st. That the immediate roiurn of all 
the surplus money which is, or ought to be, in the trea- 
sury of the United States, to the possession of the people 
from whom it was taken, is called for by every principle 
of policy and, indeed, of safety to our institutions; and 
I know of no mode of doing it better than that recom- 
mended by the present chief magistrate, in his first an- 
nual messacre to cong-ress, in the following words : " To 
avoid these evils it appears to me that the most safe, just and 
federal disposition which could be made of the surplus reve- 
nue, would be its apportionment among the several states 
accordins; to the ratio of representation. 

This proposition has reference to a state of things 
which now actually exists, with the exception of the 
amount of money thus to be disposed of; for it could not 
have been anticipated by the president that the surplus 
above the real wants or convenient expenditures of the 
government would become so large, as that retaining it 
in the treasury would so much diminish the circulating 
medium as greatly to embarrass the business of the 
country. 



I 
I 



I 



GENERAL HARRISON. 145 

What other disposition can be made of it with a view 
to get it into immediate circulation, but to place it in the 
hands of the state authorities? So areat is the amount, 
and so rapidly is it increasing, that it could not be ex- 
pended for a very considerable time on the comparatively 
few objects to vi'hich it could be appropriated by the gen- 
eral goverBment; but the desired distribution amongst 
the people could be immediately effected by the sta'te, 
from the infinite variety of vi^ays in which it might bo 
employed by them. By them it might be loaned to their 
own banking institutions, or even to individuals — a mode 
of distribution by the general government, wliich I sin- 
cerely hope is in the contemplation of no friend to his 
country. 

2nd. Whilst I have always broadly admitted that the 
ubiic lands vi'ere the common property of all the states, 

have been the advocate of that mode of disposing of 
them, v^'hich would create the greatest number of free- 
holders ; and I conceived that in this way the interests of 
all would be as well seo^tred as by any other disposition; 
but since, by the small size of the tracts in vvhich the 
lands are now laid out, and the reduction of the price, 
this desirable situation is easily attainable by any person 
of tolerable industry, I am perfectly reconciled to the 
distribution of the |)roceeds of the sales as provided for 
by the bill introduced into the senate by Mr. Clay; the 
interests of all seem to be well provided for by this bill ; 
and as for the opposition which has hitherto been made 
to the disposition of the lands heretofore contemplated 
by the representatives of the new states, there is no prob- 
ability of its being adopted, I think it ought no longer to 
be insisted on. 

3rd. As 1 believe that no money should be taken from 
the treasury of the United States to be expended en in- 
ternal improvements but for those which are strictly na- 
tional, the answer to this question would be easy but from 
the difficulty of determining which of those that are from 
time to time proposed, would be of this description. 
This circumstance, the excitement which has already 
been produced by appropriations of this kind, and tfie 
jealousies which it will no doubt continue to produce if 
10 



146 SKETCHES OF 

persisted in, give additional claims to the mode of appro- 
priating all the surplus revenue of the United States in 
the njanner above suggested. Each state will then have 
the means of accomplishing its own schemes of internal 
improvement. Still there will be particular cases when 
a contemplated improvement will be of greater advantage 
to the Union generally, and some particular slates, than to 
that in which it is to be made. In such cases, as well as 
those in the new states, where the value of the public do- 
main will be greatly enhanced by an improvement in the 
means of communication, the general government should 
certainly largely contribute. To appropriations of the lat- 
ter character there has never been any very warm oppo- 
sition. Upon the whole, the distribution of the surplus 
revenue amongst the states seems likely to remove most, 
if not all, the causes of dissension of which the internal 
improvement system has been the fruitful source. There 
is nothing, in my opinion, more sacredly incumbent upon 
those who are concerned in the administration of our 
government, than that of preserving harmony between 
the states. From the construction of our system, there 
has been, and probably ever will be, more or less jeal- 
ousy between the general and state governments; but 
there is nothing in the constitution — notliing in the char- 
acter of the relation which the states bear to each other, 
which can create any unfriendly feeling, if the common 
guardian administers its favor with an oven and impartial 
hand. That this may be the case, all those to whom any 
portion of this delicate power is entrusted, should always 
act upon the principles of forbearance and conciliation; 
ever more ready to sacrifice the interest of their imme- 
diate constituents, rather than violaie the riorhls of the 
other members of the family. Those who pursue a dif- 
ferent course, whose rule is never to stop short of the at- 
tainment of afl which they may consider their due, will 
often be found to have trespassed upon the boundary 
they had themselves established. The observations with 
which I shall conclude this letter, on the subject of the 
veto power by the president, will apply to this as well 
as your other questions. 

4tli. I have before me a newspaper, in which I am 



GENERAL HARniFOX. 147 

designated hy its distinguished editor, " 77/c hnnh and 
federal ccnuUdale.'''* I think it would puz'/lt; tlie writer 
to adduce any act of my life which warrants liira in 
identifying me wilii the interest of the first, or the poli- 
tics of the latter. Having no means of ascertaining the 
sentiments of the directors and stock-holders of the 
bank of the United States, (which is the one, 1 presume, 
with which it was intended to associate me,) I cannot 
say what their course is likely to be in relation to the en- 
suing election for president. Should they, however, give 
me their support, it will be evidence at least, that the 
opposition which I gave to their institution in my ca- 
pacity of representative from Ohio, in congress, pro- 
ceeded, in their opinion, from a sense of duty which I 
could not disregard. 

The journals of the second session of the thirteenth, 
and those of the fourteenth congress, will show that my 
Totes are recorded against them upon every question in 
•which their interest was involved. I did, indeed, exert 
myself in the senate of Ohio, to procure a repeal of the law, 
which had imposed an enormous tax upon the branches 
which had been located in its boundaries at ihe request 
of the citizens. The ground of those exertions was not 
the interest of the bank ; but to save what I considered 
the honor of the state, and to prevent a controversy be- 
tween the state officers and those of the United States. 

In the spring of 1834, I had also the honor to preside 
at a meeting of the citizens of Hamilton county, called 
for the purpose of expressing their sentiments in relation 
to the removal of t!ie public money from the custody of 
the bank, by the sole authority of the executive. As 
president of the meeting, I explained at some length the 
object for which it was convened, but I advanced no 
opinion in relation to the rechartering of the bank., 

A most respectful memorial to the president in relation 
to the removal of the deposites was adopted, as were also 
resolutions in favor of rechartering the bank ; but, as I 
have already said, this was not the purpose for which 
the meeting was called, and nut one upon which, as pre- 
siding officer, I was called upon to give an opinion, but 
in the event of an equal division of the votes. 



148 SKETCHES OF 

As a private citizen, no man can be more entirely clear 
of any motive, either for recharterinjr the old institution, 
or creating a new one under liie authority of the United 
States. 1 never had a single share in the former, nor in- 
deed, in any hank, with one exception ; and that many 
years ago failed, with the loss of the entire stock. 1 
have no inclination again to venture in that way, even if 
I shonhl ever possess the means. With the exception 
above mentioned, of stock in a bank, long since bro- 
ken, I never put ont a dollar at interest in my life. My 
interest being entirely identified with the cultivation of 
the soil, I am immediately and personally connected with 
none other. 

I have made this statement to show you that I am 
not committed to any course in relation to the chartering 
of a bank of the United JStates ; and that I might, if so 
disposed, join in the popular cry of denunciation against 
the (Id institution, and upon its misconduct, predicate an 
opposition to the chartering of another. 

1 shall not, however, take this course so opposite to 
that which 1 hope 1 have followed through life, but will 
give you my sentiments clearly and fully, not only with 
regard to the future condvict of the government on the 
subject of a national bank, but in relation to the operation 
of that which is now defunct. 

I was not ill congress when the late bank was char- 
tered, but was a member of the 13th congress, after its 
first session, when the conduct of the bank, in its incip- 
ient measures was examined into; ;ind believing, from 
the result of the investigation, that the charter had been 
violated, I voted for the judicial investigation, with a 
view of annullincT its charter. The resolution for that 
purpose, however, failed ; and shortly after, the manage- 
ment of its affairs was committed to the talents and in- 
tegrity of Mr. Cheves. From that period to its final dis- 
solution, (although I must confess I am not a very com- 
petent judge of such matters,) I have no idea that an 
institution could have been conducted with more ability, 
integrity, and public advantage than it has been. 

Under these impressions, I agree with general Jackson 
in the opinion expressed in one of his messages to con- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 149 

gress, from which I make the foil-wing extract : " That 
a hank of the United States, competent to all the dutiet 
which may he required hy the L!;overnment, might he so or- 
ganized as not to infringe on our delegated powers, or the 
reserved rights of the states, I do not entertain a douht^^* 
But the period for rocharterinor the old institution has 
passed, as Pennsylvania has wisely taken care to appro- 
priate to herself the benefits of its large capital. 

The question, then, for me to answer, is whnther, un* 
der the circumstances you state, if elected to the othce 
of president, I would sign an act to charter another bank. 
I answer, I would, if it were clearly ascertained that the 
public interest in relation to the collection and disburse- 
ment of the revenue would materially suffer without 
one, and there were unequivocal manifestations of public 
opinion in its favor. I think, however, the experiment 
should be fairly tried, to ascertain whether the financial 
operations of the crovernment caimot be as well carried 
on without the aid of a national bank. If it is not neces- 
sary for that purpose, it does not appear to me that one 
can be constitutionally chartered. 'I'here i^s no construc- 
tion which I can give the constitution which would au- 
thorize it, on the ground of affording facilities to com- 
merce. The measure, if adopted, must have for its ob- 
ject the carrying into effect (facilitating at least the exer- 
cise of,) some one of the powers positively granted to the 
general government. If others flow from it, producing 
equal or greater advantages to the nation, so much the 
better; but these cannot be made the ground fur justify- 
ing a recourse to it. 

The excitement which has been produced by the bank 
question, the number and respectability of those who 
deny the right to congress to charter one, strongly recom- 
mended the course above suggested. 

5th. I distinctly answer to this question, that, in my 
opinion, neither house of congress can constitutionally 
expunjje the record of the proceedings of liieir prede- 
cessors. 

The power to rescind certainly belongs to them; 
and is, for every public legitimate purpose, all that is 
necessary. The attempt to^ expunge their journal, now 



150 SKETCHES OF 

making in the senate of the United Slates, 1 am salia- 
iied could never have been made but in a period of the 
highest party excitement, wlien the voice of reason and 
generous feeling is stifled by long protracted and bitter 
controversy. 

In relation to the exercise of the veto power by the 
president, there is, I think, an important difference in 
opinion between the present chief magistrate and myself. 
I express this opinion with less diffidence, because 1 be- 
lieve mine is in strict accordance with those of all the 
previous presidents to general Jackson. 

The veto power, or the control of the executive over 
the enactment of laws by the legislative body, was not 
unknown in the United States previously to the formation 
of the present federal constitution. It does not appear, 
however, to have been in much favor. The principle 
was to be found in but three of the state constitutions ; 
and in but one of them (Massachusetts,) was the execu- 
tive power lodged in the hands of a single chief magis- 
trate. One other state, (South Carolina,) had, indeed, 
not only adopted this principle, but had given its single 
executive magistrate an absolute negative upon the acts 
of the legislature. In all other instances it has been a 
qualified negative, like that of the United States. The 
people of South Carolina seem, however, not to have 
been long pleased with this investment of power in their 
governor, as it lasted but two years; having been adop- 
ted in 1776, and repealed in 1778; from which lime the 
acts of the legislature of that state have been entirely 
freed from executive control. Since the adoption of 
the constitution of the United States, the veto principle 
has been adopted by several other states; and until 
very lately, it seemed to he very rapidly growing into 
favor. 

Before we can form a correct opinion of the manner in 
which this power should be exercised, it is proper to un- 
derstand the reasons which have induced its adoption. 
In its theory, it is manifestly an innovation upon the first 
principle of republican government — that the majority 
should rule. Why should a single individual control 
the will of that majority ? 



GENERAL HARRISON. 151 

It will not be said that there is more probabirity of 
finding greater wisdom in the executive chair, ilian in 
the halls of the legislature. Nor can it possibly be 
supposed, that an individual residing in the centre of an 
extensive country, can be as well acquainted wiih ihe 
wants and wishes of a numerous people, as those who 
come immediately from amongst them — the partakers, for 
a portion of the year, in their various labors and employ- 
ments ; and the witnesses of the effects of the laws in 
their more minute as well as general operations. 

As far, then, as it regards a knowledge of the wants 
and wishes of the people, wisdom to discover remedies 
for increasing the public prosperity, it would se«-m that 
the leo-islative bodies did not require the aid of an vwv- 
utive magistrate. But there is a principle, recognized 
by all the American constitutions, which was unknown 
lo the ancient republics. They all acknowledge. ri^Miis 
in the minority, which cannot rightfully be taken Iroin 
them. Experience had shown that in large assemblies, 
these rights were not always respected. It would bo 
in vain tTiat they should be enumerated, and respect for 
them enjoined in the constitution. A popul..' assembly, 
under the influence of that spirit of parly which is always 
discoverable in a greater or less degree in all republics, 
mio-ht, and would, as it was believed, sometimes disre- 
gar'd them. To guard aaainst this danger, and to secure 
the ricrhts of each individual, the expedient of creating 
a department independent of the others, and amenable 
only to the laws, was adopted. Security was thus <riven 
ao-ainst any palpable violation of the constitution, to the 
iniury of individuals, or a minority party. But it was 
still possible for a willful and excited majority to enact 
laws of the greatest injustice and tyranny, wiihoul vio- 
latino- the letter of their charter. 

And this I take to be the origin of the veto power, aa 
well in the state governments, as that oi the United 
States. It appears to have been the intention to create 
an umpire between the contending factions, which had 
existed, it was believed, and would continue to exist. 
If there was any propriety in adopting this principle in 
the government of a state, ail the reasons in lavor of ii 



l52 SKETCHES OF 

existed in a tenfold degree for incorporating- it in that of 
the United States. The operations of the latter, extend- 
ing over an immense tract of country, embracing the pro- 
ducts of almost every clime, and that country divided 
too into a number of separate governments, in many re- 
spects independent of each other and of the common 
federal head, left but little hope that they could always 
be carried on in harmony. It could not be doubted that 
sectional interests would at times predominate in the 
bosoms of the immediate representatives of the people 
and the states, combinations formed destructive of the 
public good, or unjust and oppressive to a minority. 
Where could a power to check these local feelings, and 
to destroy the effects of unjust combinations, be better 
placed than in the hands of that department whose autho- 
rity, being derived from the same common sovereign, is 
co-ordinate with the rest, ar)d which enjoys the great 
dislitiction of being at once the immediate representa- 
tive of the whole people, as well as of each particulai 
state ] 

In the former character, the interests of the whole 
community would be rigidly supported, and, in tlie latter, 
the rights of each ineinber steadfastly maintained. The 
representation from the state authorities in the electoral 
colleges, I consider one of the most felicitous features 
in the constitution. It serves as an eternal memento to 
the chief magistrate that it is his duty tu guard the in- 
terests of the weak against the unjust aggressions of the 
strong and powerful. From these premises, you will con- 
clude that I consider the qualified veto upon the acts of the 
legislature, conferred by the constitution upon the presi- 
dent^ as a conservative power, intended only to be used to 
secure the instrument itself from violation, or, in times 
of [ligh party excitement, to protect the rights of the 
minority, and the interests of the weaker members of 
the Union. Such, indeed, is my opinion, and such we 
must believe to be the opinion of nearly all the distin- 
guished men who have filled the executive chair. If I 
were- president of the United States, an act which did 
not involve either of the principles above enumerated, 
must have been passed under very peculiar circumr 



GENERAL HARRISON. 1 ft3 

Stances of precipitancy or opposition to llie known j)ul)lic 
will, to induce me to refuse to it my sanction. 

If the opinion I have given of the motives of the fra- 
mers of the constitution, in sivitifj the veto power to tlio 
president, is correct, it follows, that they ntiver could 
have expected that he who was constituted the umpire 
between contendincr factions, should ever identify him- 
self with the interests of one of them, and vohiiit;irily 
razee liimself from the proud eminence of leader of a na- 
tion to that of chief of a party. 1 can easily conre'v*? 
the existence of a state of things by which the chief ma- 
gistrate of a state may be forced to act upon party prin- 
ciples ; but such a course is entirely opposcil to all the 
oblioations which the constitution imposes on a presi- 
dent of the United States. The immense iuliiience ho 
possesses will always give to his party the jirepon- 
derance, and the very circumstance of its beit)g an ex- 
ecutive party will be the cause of infusing more bitter- 
ness and vindictive feeling in these domestic contests. 
Under these circumstances, the qualified veto given by 
the constitution may, if the president should think pro- 
per to change its character, become as absoli.ft- in prac- 
tice as thai possessed by the kings of England and 
France. From the great variety of local interests acting 
upon the members of the two houses of congress, and 
from the difficulty of keeping all the individuals of a 
large party under the control of party discipline, laws 
will often be passed by small majorities adverse to the 
interests of the dominant party ; but if the president 
should think proper to use the veto power for the pur- 
pose of promoting the interests of his party, it will be in 
vain to expect that a majority so large as two-thirds in 
t)oth houses would be found in opposition to his wishes, 
fn the hands of such a president, the qualified veto of 
che constitution would in practice be absolute. 

I have, upon another occasion, expressed my viewH 
upon the danger of a dominant executive party. It may, 
perhaps, be said, that the chief macislrate will hnd it im- 
possible to avoid the inlluence of party spirit. Several 
of our chief magistrates, however, have been able to 
escape its influence ; or, what is the same thin?, to act 



154 SKETCHES OF 

ns if they did not feel it. As one mode of avoiding- it, 
il would he my aim to interfere with the leorislation of 
coiijrress as little as j)ossible. Tlie clause in the consti- 
tution which makes it the duty of the president to give 
congress information of the state of the Union, and to 
recommend to their consideration such measures as he 
shall judge necessary and expedient, could never be in- 
tended to make lum the source of lecrislation. Informa- 
tion should always be frankly given, and recommenda- 
tions upon such matters as come more immediately under 
his cognizance than theirs. But there it should end. 
If he should undertake to prepare the business of legisla- 
tion for the action of congress, or to assume the char- 
acter of code maker for the nation, the personal interest 
which he will take in the success of his measures will 
necessarily convert him into a partisan, and will totally 
incapacitate him from performing the part of tiiat impar- 
tial umpire, which is the character thnt I have supposed 
the constitution intends him to assume, when the acts 
passed by the legislature are submitted to liis decision. 
I do not think it by any means necessary that he should, 
take the lead as a reformer, even when reformation is, in 
his ojtinion, necessary. Reformers will be never want- 
ing when it is well understood that the power which 
wields the whole patronage of tlie nation will not oppose 
the ref )rmation. 

I have the honor to be, with great consideration and 
respect, sir, your humble servant. 

W. H. HARRISON. 

To the Hon. Sherrod Williams. 

In 1838, a gentleman in New Jersey addressed general 
Harrison on the subject of duelling. The reply to this 
letter has been widely circulated, and is justly consider 
ed one of the most effective attacks upon the practice of 
personal combat, that has been made. The concluding 
paragraph presents general Harrison's own views upon 
this subject, and we subjoin it. 

" I am satisfied, that what I have said above, does not 
entirely meet your enquiry, and that you will expect me 
to state what effect the scenes described had in forming, 



GENERAL HARRISON. 155 

my own principles, and governinir my own conduct. I 
have already stated an entire clraiiire in niy scMitiments, 
on the subject of duelling-, from those which 1 enierlain*;d 
upon my first entering the army; and for wiiich no ex- 
cuse can be offered, but. my extreme youth, and the bad 
examples continually before me. In almost every other 
case, possessed of the deliberate opinions of a njan, you 
might safely conclude that his conduct would be in con- 
formity to them. But such, alas ! is not the case with 
men of the world, in relation to the laws whicli form 
" the code of honor." Abstractedly considered, they all 
condemn them, whilst in practice they adopt them. In 
all other cases, independent men act from their own con- 
victions, but, in this case, upon the opinions of others, or 
rather from what they fear may be the opinions of others. 
I acknowledge, then, that the chantre of my opinions, 
which I have admitted in relation to duelling, had no 
other influence on my conduct, than to determine me 
never to be the aggressor. But, although resolved to of- 
fer no insult nof intlict any injury, I was determined to 
suffer none. When I left the army, however, and retired 
to civil life, I considered myself auihcrized greatly to 
narrow the ground upon which I would be willing to re- 
sort to a personal combat. To the determination which 
I had previously made, to offer no insult or inflict any 
injury to give occasion to any one to call upon me in this 
way, (for° after witnessing the scene which I have last 
described, the wealth and honors of the world would not 
have tempted me to level a pistol at the breast of a man 
whom I had injured,) I resolved to disregard all remarks 
upon my conduct which could not be construed into a 
deliberate insult, or any injury which did not affect rny 
reputation or the happiness and peace of my tamily. 
When I had the honor to be called upon to command the 
north-western army, recolleclintr tho numbtr of gallant 
men that had fallen in the former war, in personal com- 
bat, I determined to use all the authority and all the in- 
fluence of my station to prevent their recurnnre. And, 
to take away the principal source from which they spring, 
in an address to the Pennsylvania brigade, at Sandusky, 
I declared it to be ray determination to prevent, by all 



156 SKETCHES OF 

the means that the military laws placed in my hands, any 
injury, or even insult, which should be oftered, by the 
superior to the inferior officers. 1 cannot say what influ- 
ence this course, u[ion my part, may have produced in 
the result; but I state with pleasure, that there was not 
a single duel, nor, as far as I know, a challencre g"iven, 
whilst I retained the command. The activity in which 
the army was constantly kept, may, however, have been 
the principal cause of this uncommon harmony. 

" In relation to my present sentiments, a sense of hig-her 
obligations than iuiman laws, or human opinions can im- 
pose, has determined me never, on any occasion, to ac- 
cept a challenge or seek redress for a personal injury, by 
a resort to tlie laws which compose the code of honor." 

The ])roceedings of the National Democratic Anti- 
masonic Convention, held in Pennsylvania, in 1838, by 
which general Harrison was nominated for the presi- 
dency of tlie United States, in the canvass of 1840, were 
transmitted to him, officially by the Honorable Harnier 
Denny, of Pittsburgh. Under date of December 2nd, 
1838, the general made a reply to Mr. Denny, the sub- 
stance of which is here iriven : 

" Dear Sir : — As it is probable that you iiave by this 
time returned to Pittsburgh, I do myself the honor to ac- 
knowledge the receipt of your letter from Philadelphia, 
contai;iing the proceedings of the National Democratic 
Anti-masonic Convention, which lately convened in that 
city. With feelings of the deepest gratitude, I read the 
resolution unanimously adopted, nominating me as a can- 
didate for the president of the United States. This is 
the second time that 1 have received from that patriotic 
party, of ^vhioh you yourself are a distinguished member, 
the higliest evidence of confidence that can be (riven to a 
citizen of our republic. I would attempt to describe mj^ 
sense of the ol)ligatifms I owe them, if I were not con- 
vinced that any language which I could command would 
fall far short of what I really feel. If, however, the 
wishes of the convention should be realized, and if I 
should second their efforts, I shall have it in my power 
to manifest my gratitude in a manner more acceptable to 
those whom you represent, than by any professions of it 



GENERAL HARRISON. 157 

which I could at this time make ; T moan liy cxcrliiKj mr 
utmost efforts to carry out llie principles set torih in ihi-ir 
resolutions, by arresting the |)r('fTress of the measures 
*' destructive to the prosperity of the people, and tending 
to the subversion of their lihcrtics," and s'lbstitntin^ t'nr 
them those sound democratic republican doctrines, upon 
which the administration of Jefferson and Madison wore 
conducted. 

Amoncr the principles proper to be adopted by any ex- 
ecutive sincerely desirous to restore the administration to 
its original simplicity and purity, 1 deem the following 
to be of prominent importance. 

I. To confine his service to a single term. 

II. To disclaim all riofbt of control over the public 
treasure, with the exception of such part of it as may be 
appropriated by law, to carry on the public services, and 
that to be applied precisely as the law may direct, and 
drawn from the treasury agreeably to the long establish- 
ed forms of that department. 

III. That he should never attempt to influence the 
elections, either by the people or the state legislatures, 
nor suffer the federal officers under his cent; -t ru take 
any other part in them than by giving their own votes, 
when they possess tiie right (/f voting. 

IV. That in the exercise of the veto power, he should 
limit his rejection of bills to, 1st. Such as are, in his 
opinion, unconstitutional; 2nd. Such as tend to encroach 
on the rights of the states or individuals; 3rd. Such ag 
involving" deep interests, may, in his opinion, rt^quire 
mere mature deliberation or reference to the will of the 
people, to be ascertained at the succeeding elections. 

> V. That he should never suffer the intluence of his of- 
fice to be used for purposes of a purely parly character. 

VI. That in removals from office of those who hold 
their appointments during the pleasure of the executive, 
the cause of such removal should be stated, if requested, 
to the senate, at the time the nomination of a successor it 

made. 

And last, but not least in inii)ortance, 

VII. That he should not suffer the executive depart- 
ment of the (rovernment to becon.e the source of legisla- 



i! 
li 



158 SKETCHES OF 

tion : but leave the whole business of making laws for 
the Union to the department to which the constitution 
has exclusively assigned it, until they have assumed that 
perfected shape, where and when alone the opinions of 
the executive may be heard. * * * # 

The question may perhaps be asked of me, what secu- 
rity I nave in my power to offer, if the majority of the 
American people should select me for their chief magis- 
trate, that I woifld adopt the principles which I have 
herein laid down as those upon which my administration 
would be conducted ; I could only answer, by referring to 
my conduct, and the disposition manifested in the dis- 
charge of the duties of several important offices, which 
have heretofore been conferred upon me. If the powe: 
placed in my hands has, on even a single occasion, been 
used for any purpose other than that for which it was 
given, or retained longer than was necessary to accom- 
plish the objects designated by those from whom the 
trusts were received, I will acknowledge that either will 
constitute a sufficient reason for discrediting any promise 
I may make, under the circumstances in which I am now 
placed." 



GENERAL HARRISON. 159 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Harrisburg convention. — Canvass of 1810. — Great mass meet- 
ings at Fort Meigs, Tippecanoe, Bunker Hill, &c. — Election 
of General Harrison. 

Although Harrison had been defeated in the canvass 
of 1836, his friends had no doubt that by sufficient 
efforts he might be chosen in 1840, and their hopes 
were strengthened by the growing dissatisfaction with 
the administration, after the terrible revulsion in com- 
mercial and financial matters which took place in the 
spring of 1837. Gen. Harrison's name, however, was 
not the only one before the American people in opposi- 
tion to Mr. Van Buren's. The long services, and tried 
talents of Mr. Clay induced his friends to hope that he 
would be selected; the unquestioned ability of .Mr. 
Webster led many to look to him as the man best fitted 
to restore credit and security to the country; while the 
popularity of Gen. Scott caused his name also to be 
brought forward. At an early period, however, it was 
proposed by the Whigs to leave the selection of a 
candidate to a national convention, and the opposition 
members of Congress were requested to name a place 
and time for the meeting of such a convention. 'J'bis 
they did upon the 15th of May, IH.'iH, fixing upon 
Harrisburg, Penn., as the point, and the first Wednes- 
day in December, 1839, as the day, of meeting : they 



160 SKETCHES OF 

also agreed that each State should send as many dele- 
gales as it had senators and representatives in Congress. 
This course, on the part of the whigs, prevented all 
distraction in their party, and offered no man to the 
shafts of the administration speakers and writers until 
a late period in the canvass. One other principle was 
agreed to hy the foes of Mr. Van Buren; this was, 
that they would select the candidate who had the best 
chance of being elected, without reference to his compar- 
ative talents, or previous services : the object was to 
ensure a whig administration, and it was believed that 
either of the four gentlemen named had an abundance 
of ability and integrity, and might be safely placed in 
the presidential chair. Some months before the meeting 
of the convention, in June, 1839, Mr. Webster, then on 
a visit to England, publicly declined being considered 
a candidate; so that when the delegates of twenty-two 
States met at Harrisburg on the day agreed upon, they 
had to choose between (/lay, Scott, and Harrison. The 
choice was soon made, and the hero of the west received 
the unanimous vote of the convention. 

This nomination, at first, gave some offence to the 
Virginians and other southerners who had been half 
persuaded that Harrison was an abolitionist. Some of 
Mr. Clay's friends were also disappointed. These feel- 
ings, however, soon passed away. The whig members 
of the Virginia Legislature confirmed the nomination of 
Harrison and Tyler upon the 8th of January. Mr. 
Clay, himself, behaved with the magnanimity which 
became him ; and his supporters, in general, at once ac- 
quiesced in the nomination which had been made. The 
news of the choice that had taken place was received 
throughout the west with enthusiasm ; and Ohio at once 
took measures to ensure a great meeting of the people at 
her capital, to show the country that the nominee was 



GEN KRAI, HARRISON. 101 

honoured in lus own latid. Harrison, liinisolf, nrr('|)tf«l 
the honour contorred upon him in ii short and niodisl 
letter, written from North Uend, upon tlio lOlh f)t' l)»- 
cember. In this letter he enters into no particulars, as m 
his views, referrinsj to the published replies to Sherrnd 
Williams, and Mr. Denny, already ijuot^'d by us, h\\\. 
reiterates his determination not to be a candidate Ibr a 
second term. 

Amonor those ciroumstanoes whieli jrreatlv tended to in- 
spirit the friends ofGeneral Harrison during this first win- 
ter of the presidential contest, was the letter of William 
C. Rives, of Virorinia, well known as the leader nf the C'on- 
servative party. In this epistle, dated February Ifjih, 
which was very lonsr and very able, the distinfruislud 
senator presented his oi\iections to Mr. Van Hurru, and 
urj^ed the claims of General Harrison to the support of 
all true democrats with ecjual plainness and eloquence. 
The charo-e of abolitionism urixed airainst the statesman 
of Ohio was examined by Mr. Rives, and shown to be 
groundless ; so groundless that he does not hesitate to 
exclaim, "Where is the man, whether of the south or 
the north, who, in the practical assertion of the rijrhtM 
of the south, and in enerjretic and decisive reprobation 
of the designs of the abolitionists, lias gone farther than 
General Harrison!" He next attacks the charge of 
federalism which, also, had been brought to overwhelm 
the claims of the western hero. In disproving this ac- 
cusation, he quotes from an address by Harrison, pub- 
lished in 1822, containing his views on the great contested 
points, and then adds :— " A political creed more tnily re- 
publican and patriotic than this, I tiunk, you nmII agrc.^ 
with me, has never been submitted to the American 
people." He next defends the whig candidate against 
the charges of favouring a protective tariff, internal im- 
provements, and a national bank. 
11 



162 SKETCHES OF 

Upon the 21st and 22d of February took place the great 
Harrison gathering, at Columbus, attended, as it was 
believed, by no less than twenty three thousand persons. 
At this convention the popular symbols of coon-skins, 
log-cabins and hard-cider barrels, which through this 
whole contest played so important a part, were for the 
first time, made pre-eminent. The delegates from Clark 
county came with their log-cabin, having skins stretched 
upon its outer walls, while the representatives of the 
frontier men, clad in hunting shirts, ate corn bread upon 
the roof: those from Wood county brought a miniatureFort 
Meigs, drawn by six horses ; it " was an exact repre- 
sentation of the fort, with the pickets and block-houses, 
made from a diagram drawn by an officer who was one 
of its defenders during the siege. Cannon peeped from 
the embrasures, and one of the pieces was fired during 
the entrance of the miniature. A number of the dele- 
gates garrisoned the fort and cheered heartily, as they 
came in." From Cleveland came a fine brig, with all 
sails set. Crawford county brought as her banner a 
living bald-eagle, perched upon a staff, ten feet high. 
Although the second day (Feb. 22d) was rainy and the 
mud ancle deep, the procession which then formed, was 
more than a mile in length, the delegates walking eight 
abreast, and was attended by sixteen bands of music. 
The president of the convention was General Reazin 
Beall, who was supported by nineteen vice-presidents, 
one from each congressional district, and by eight secre- 
taries. It nominated Thomas Corwin as candidate for 
Governor, and also an electoral ticket pledged to Har- 
rison and Tyler. The spirit shown on this occasion by 
the citizens of Ohio lent new hope and strength to the 
whig cause throughout the country. 

It would be impossible for us to detail the meetings 
which took place from this time forward in favor of the 



GENERAL HARRISON'. l$9 

Harrisburg nominees. In »>very sccUon ot" tlio country 
the same spirit was shown, and vwry d;iy made the 
whigs more cunlident of electing their candidal*-. The 
absurd objection made to General Harrison by sf»me 
letter writer, thiit lie was just fit to livtj in ;i loi;-cabin 
and drink hard-cider, became the suurce of on*- of ilio 
most powerful inlluenct'S in his favor, for it idi-nlified 
him with the masses, it made him the democratic can- 
didate : and it is worth while to mention that wben thin 
ridiculous letter lirst reaelud Cincinnati, the Itfueral 
said to his friends that plenty of such abuse would en- 
sure his election to a certainty. Neither were the graver 
charges of abolitionism, federalism, <vc. much nmre pow- 
erful for evil ; they were too easily disproved to weigh 
with the people, whose pecuniary distresses had made 
them earnest and keen in seeking the truth. IJul among 
the slanders and stories whieli were everywher«^ circu- 
lated to injure the prospects of (iencral llarrison, was 
one, the purpose of which was to produce a conviction in 
the minds of the people that the old and hardly tried ser- 
vant of the republic was broken in eneriiy and intellect, 
and it was well calculated to produce that imj)n;ssion. 
The story was that a committee existed at Cincinnati, 
which had the Harrisburg nominee in charge, which 
wrote his letters, answered all queries addressed to liim, 
and in short took tbe place of his head ; and the fart 
that this body had replied to inquiries sent the General 
from Oswego, was appealed to in proof of the charge. 
Mr. Joseph L. Williams, a representative in crmgrc8« 
from Tennessee, knowinir of this tale,and fearing its influ- 
ence, wrote to General Harrison, who, in May 1840, 
answered as follows : 

" As it has been asserted that I employed this rnn»- 
mittee to write political opinions for me, because 1 was 
unable to write them myself, it may be proper to say, Uial 



164 SKETCHES OF 

I was never in the habit of doing this, and that in all 
the addresses, letters, speeches, general orders, &c. which 
have been published under my name, and with my sanc- 
tion, there is not a line that was written or suggested 
by any other individual. I do not claim for these pro- 
ductions any merit ; nor would I consider myself blame- 
able had 1 rex^eived the occasional assistance of my 
friends in this way ; but I mention it to show how 
totally reckless are my political enemies in the asser- 
tions they make in relation to me." 

This charge was farther alluded to by the General, 
in his speech at Columbus, delivered in June. " The 
story goes," said he, " that 1 have not only a committee 
of conscience-keepers, but that they put me in a cage, 
fastened with iron bars, and keep me in that." He then 
proceeded to relate the facts upon which the whole tale 
was founded. The corresponding committee appointed 
by the whigs of Hamilton county, had chosen as its 
chairman, Major Gwynne, one of General Harrison's 
personal friends, upon whom he felt at liberty to call when 
pressed with business. To him the General was in the 
habit of passing over such letters as contained inquiries 
that could be answered by a reference to some printed 
speech or document, that the querist might be referred 
to the proper source of information. This fact, together 
with the fact that on one occasion a letter — that from 
Oswego — which had been placed in this manner in the 
hands of Major Gwynne, was answered by the committee, 
though never referred to them, formed the grounds of the 
current story. This fable for a time, may have caused 
many to doubt the physical capacity of the whig candi- 
date ; but its influence was soon counteracted by the 
appearance and speeches of the veteran himself, at Co- 
lumbus, at Fort Meigs, and on the ground where Wayne 
concluded his famous treaty of 1795. 

The celebration at Fort Meigs, which took place upon 



GENERAL HARRISON. 1 Hj 

the 10th and 11th of June, was one nf the mr)st im|)ros- 
sive of the great gatherings which met during the can- 
vass of 1810. 

The site of the Fort is on the hrow of the right bank 
of the river Mauniee, nearly an iuindred feet ahove the 
water, to which tlie (U^scent, though covered wiih the 
greenest sward, is ahnost precij)itous. On the land side 
sweeps around in a crescent form, a ravine, which toge- 
ther with the river, partially insulates the fort, and must 
have contributed essentialiy to the defence of the |)lace. 
The fosse or ditch, the glacis, the sally jiorts, thouyh over- 
grown with short tliick grass, are all distinctly defin»'d. 
Beneath for many a mile, stretches the luxuriant val- 
ley of the Maumee, the broad river dotted with islands 
fading away into the dim, hazy distance, and rrtlecling, 
like polished silver, the bright rays of the early summer 
sun. As night came on upon the evening of the 10th of 
June, the day preceding the celebration, the old fort pre- 
sented one of the most picturescjue views imaginable. 
Great numbers of people had come in durirjg the after- 
noon from the neighboring states of Indiana and Michigan, 
and the more distant counties of Ohio, ar.*! by U o'clock 
there could not have been less than "20,000 on the ground. 
These were divided into groups of from 1,000 to 5,000 
men, listening to and cheering some favorite speaker, or 
singing Tippecanoe songs. It was surprising to witness 
the^spfrit with which their hymns were sung. All knew 
the words and the tunes, and when one heard them 
chanted as by a common impulse by many thousands of 
farmers, mechanics, and hard working artisans of evrry 
description, he could not but be thoroughly convinced 
that a spirit was abroad that could not be stayed or put 

down. 

On the brow of the hank, and on the edge of the 
neighboring forest were ranged the white tents of the 
milttary and citizens. The heavens were without a 
cloud, the moon was up, and under the softened and mel- 
low radiance of its light the river, the valley -.wid the 
whole scene seemed reposing in quiet beauty, forming a 
strange contrast to the sights and sounds which met the 
eye and ear on every side. 



166 SKETCHES OF 

Let our readers suppose some ten or twenty of the 
largest camp meetings they ever attended, all thrown 
into one, with all the accompanying exhortations and 
singing, these heightened in effect hy the music of innu- 
merable bands, and they will be able to form a better 
idea of the as])ect of Fort Meigs on the night of the 10th 
than we could give by the most labored description. In- 
deed the feeling which seemed to pervade each one of 
the mighty host there assembled was akin to and appar- 
ently was not less fervent or sincere than the most ex- 
alted religious sentiments in a period of great excite- 
ment. 

About midnight the camp was aroused by an attack 
from some hundred Indians. The drums beat to quar- 
ters, skirmishers were driven in, the roar of cannon was 
mingled with vollies of musketry, and during an hour or 
more, many of the most stirring events of the siege were 
acted over with an air of startling reality. The Indians 
were finally driven back, some were captured, the senti- 
nels were placed, and the camp sank into profound repose. 

Early on the 11th the vast multitude organised by 
choosing Thomas Evving President, and appointing other 
officers. Soon after the oriranizution had been thus com- 
pleted, General Harrison reached the ground, and as- 
cended the stand where were collected many of the vete- 
rans of the revolution, and his companions in arms under 
Wayne and during the last war. His apj)earance was 
greeted with rounds of the most tremendous cheers. The 
Disposer of all events was then addressed, in an affect- 
ing and appropriate prayer by the Rev. Joseph Badger, 
whose head was whitened by the frosts of ninety winters, 
and who, nearly fifty years before, was a chaplain in 
Wayne's army. The prayer concluded, General Harri- 
son advanced to address the vast assemblage. He spoke 
nearly an hour and a half, straight on, without a mo- 
ment's hesitancy, and with a force and power not sur- 
passed by one in the prime and vigour of manhood. " We 
honestly confess," said one present, " that notwithstan- 
ding our perfect confidence in the purity and integrity of 
his character and principles, and with a just appreciation 
of his eminent military and civil services, the attacks 



\ 



GENERAL HARRISON. 1 67 

upon him had lieon made with such holdnoflfl and ])or- 
tinacity — they had been repeated in so many lliousand 
forms, and from so many sources — tliat, thoujrh we <ravc 
them no credence, we still had misjrivinfjs, lest ajj*', the 
responsibility, services and hardships of his eventtul life 
had somewhat impaired his physical, if not inttUeclual 
energies. But whatever misgivings we had on that 
score, were dissipated alter listening to the first few sen- 
tences of his address. During the whole of his long sj)e<'ch, 
delivered in the open air, under a burning sun, not for 
one moment did he falter. The trumpet-like tones of 
his voice rang out as clear at the close as at the com- 
mencement, and by all the mighty host gathered round, 
not less than 25,000, every word could be distinctly 
heard." 

Just before the convention at Fort Meigs, an Immense 
concourse had come together at another scene of Harri- 
son's successful efforts, the battle-ground of Tippecanoe. 
It would but feebly convey an idea of its vastness, to 
say that such a multitudinous gathering never before as- 
sembled in Indiana, nor perhaps in the west ; and when we 
consider what led those present to come thitiicr. the dis- 
tance many of them came, the almost impassable state of 
the roads, and the incessant rains which preceded the meet- 
ing, it must be thought one of the greatest assemblies 
ever convened for civic purposes on this side of the 
Atlantic. On the evening of the 28ih of May, there 
were two thousand three hundred wagons encamped in 
the vicinity of the battle ground ; and by noon of the 
29th the number was swelled to three thousand two 
hundred, which were counted— and the number ot per- 
sons in attendance on the day last named could not have 
been less than thirty thousand. 

The mornino- of the 28th crave promise of a fair day, 
and at an early hour all the thoroughfares leading to 
Lafayette, were filled with processions on foot and 
horseback; in wagons and carts; in canoes and in 
cabins, all flocking to the battle-field of Tippecanoe 
Five steamboats ha'd arrived at the wharvc^s, crowded 
with passengers from the towns on the Ohio and the 
Wabash, and the roar of artillery and the crash of raus- 



! 



168 SKETCHES OF 

kets, minsfled with the shouts and huzzas of the multi- 
tude, as they marched with colors unfurled and banners 
waving in the breeze. In the afternoon, however, the 
rain poured down in torrents ; but onward camo 
the procession in unfaltering array, filled with enthusiasm, 
and greeted by hundreds, as thoy proceeded on their way 
to the battle-ground ; nor did they cease coming until 
after dark. Late in the afternoon of that day, the rain 
that had been falling, at intervals, for the last five days, 
abated, and the sun siioue forth. 

This presage of fine weather for the next day was not 
deceptive. The 29th was clear and delightful, and the 
whole multitude were filled with hope and joy. The 
convention was organized, and remained in session until 
the afternoon of the .'JOth, lisUnung to specciies from the 
eloquent, from every portion of the country, joining in the 
chorus of the sonjjs, wliich were known to the dwellers in 
every log-cabin, and gazing on the survivors of the bat- 
tle fought upon the spot, wfjo, bearing one of their tatter- 
ed banners, were present at tlje meeting. 

On the 28th of July, another convention met at Green- .'' 
ville, the scene of Wayne's famous treaty : at this Gen- » 
eral Harrison was present and spoke. I 

He said he was not there of his own choice. When f 
the partiality of his country had placed him in the posi- 
tion of candidate for the presidency, it had been his pur- 
pose to remain in the quiet of his home, and take no part 
in the canvass. His services and opinions, on all im- > 

portant topics, were open to the scrutiny of his country- ?1 
men ; but a torrent of calumny had brought him from his 
home. He then adverted to the various slanders pro- 
mulgated against him. His answer to the charge of 
federalism, as understood in 1798, was especially happy. ^- 

From his youth upwards, he said, he had been a republi- 
can. A jealousy of federal power, particularly of execu- 
tive power, was among the first lessons instilled into his 
mind by his venerated parents. Those early admoni- 
tions were indelible, and he trusted he had made them the 
rule of his life. When he was appointed governor of 
Indiana, he remarked that great, even despotic powers 
were vested in him. He was authorised by the ordi- 



'ii 



GENERAL HARRISON. 169 

nance "to lay off new counties, and to organise them by 
the appointment of county officers — among others the 
sheriffs. He considered, however, that he had not re- 
ceived his office from the people, and he felt bound by 
duty, and a proper sense of the spirit of republicanism, to 
give to the people of the territory a voice in the admin- 
istration of atfairs, in as far as it was within his power 
to do so. When a sheriff was to be appointed, and ap- 
plication was made to him for the office, he would say ; 
" Sir, I can not give you this office — you must go to the 
people of your county ; and if in an election you shall 
be successful, it will give me pleasure to give you a com- 
mission." He then told various anecdotes connected 
with these elections ; and, among others, some incidents 
connected with the organization of Wayne county, Indiana. 
In this account of the administration of the territory, he 
was frequently interrupted by the grateful recollections of 
some of the gray-headed citizens of Indiana. In the 
fullness of theirhearts they would frequently exclaim; 
" General, it is true ;" " We know it to be true, general." 

During this summer of 1840, a letter writtpr by Har- 
rison to Mr. Berrien of Georgia, in 183G, and which had 
been lost sight of, came to light again, and was re-pub- 
lished at the South. It was as follows : — 

Near New Lancastery Nov. 4, 1836. 

My Dear Sir : This is the first day of leisure that I 
have had since I had the honor to receive your letter of 
the 30th September, and I avail myself of it to answer 
the three questions you propose to me, and which are in 
the following words, viz : 

1st. " Can the Congress of the United States, consis- 
tently with the consutution, abolish slavery, either in 
the States, or in the District of Columbia ?" 

2d. " Do not good faith and the peace and harmony of 
the union require that the act for the compromise of the 
tariff commonly known as Mr. Clay's bill, should be 
carried out according to its spirit and intention '" 

3d. "Is the principle proclaimed by the dominant 
party, that ' the spoils belong to the victors,' consistent 
with an honest and patriotic administration of the office 
of the President of the United States]" 



170 SKETCHES OF 

I proceed to answer these questions in the order they 
are proposed. 

1st. I do not think that Congress can abolish, or in 
any manner interfere with slavery, as it exists in the 
States, but upon the application of the States ; nor abol- 
ish slavery in the District of Columbia, without the con- 
sent of the States of Virginia and Maryland, and the 
people of the District. 

The first would be, in my opinion, a palpable viola- 
tion of the constitution, and the latter a breach of faith 
towards the States I have mentioned, who would cer- 
tainly not have made the cession, if thoy had supposed 
it would ever have been used for a purpose so different 
from that which was its object, and so injurious to them 
as the location of a free colored population in the midst 
of their slave population of the same description. Nor 
do 1 believe that Congress could deprive the people of 
the District of Columbia of their proj)erty without their 
consent. It would be reviving tiie doctrine of the tories 
of Great Britain in relation to the powers of Parliament 
over the colonies before the revolutionary war, and in 
direct hostility to the principle advanced by Lord Chat- 
ham, that *' what was man's own was absolutely and 
exclusively his own, and could not be taken from him, 
without his consent, given by himself or his legal rep- 
resentative." 

2d. Good faith and the harmony and peace of the 
Union do, in my opinion, require that the compromise 
of the tariff, known as Mr. Clay's bill, should be carried 
out according to its spirit and intention. 

3d. I am decidedly of opinion that the power of ap- 
pointment to offices, vested in the executive of the Uni- 
ted States by the constitution, should be used with a sin- 
gle eye to the public advantage, and not to promote the 
interests of party. Indeed, that the President of the 
United States should belong to no jfarty. 

You are at liberty to use this letter for any purpose 
you may think proper. I am, dear sir, with great regard 
and consideration, Your humble servant, 

(Signed) W. H. Harrison. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 171 

As the time drew near for those elections whirh wrro 
to determine the fate of the candidates for llu- I'r.-si- 
dency, the popular exhibitions of fi'oliii<r in favor of 
Harrison became more and more marked. The great 
eastern conventions had begun with that of Baltimore, 
on the 4th of May; this was followed by a large gath- 
ering at Alexandria, in the District of Columl)ia; and 
that by others scarce less numerous. The greatest meet- 
ing, however, took place at Bunker Hill, upon the loth 
of September, which consisted of not less than sixty 
thousand people. The day was beautiful, and the pro- 
cession which formed upon the common in Boston, and 
marched through many of the principal streets, was one 
of the largest and most striking ever witnessed in any 
country; 369 banners were borne in its ranks; delega- 
tions were present from eighteen states, in addition to 
the immense multitudes from Massachusetts; and when 
the long files all reached the memorable spot where the 
blood of the revolutionary heroes had been shed, they 
entirely covered the hill from top to bottom. Daniel 
Webster acted as President, and read a declaration set- 
ting forth the principles for which the whigs witf. con- 
tending, which was received with immense enthusiasm. 
During that evenins", and the forenoon of the llih, the 
city of Boston resounded unceasingly with the noise of 
the speakers and singers who were striving to outdo 
each other in honoring the Hero of Tippecanoe.* 

In the west, the 17th of August witnessed the great 
meeting at Nashville, where Mr. Clay appeared and 
spoke to the delight of the thousands assembled. Thi;! 
convention was chiefly remarkable as having called forlii 
a very violent attack by Gen. Jackson upon Mr.^ Clay, 
who had commented upon the appointment of Kdw.ird 
Livingston, a defaulter, and Samuel Swartwout, the 
confidential emissary of Aaron Burr, to high and respon- 
sible offices. To this attack Mr. Clay made a reply m 
very moderate and civil terms. This incident still far- 
ther injured the cause of Mr. Van Buren, for with many 
the sole ground for upholding him was Gen. Jackson'* 

*See on Bunker Hill Coin-. Niles' R.-^nster, Sepleinb«r 19, IS40, 
Vol. LIX, (5th Series Vol. IX) page 43, Sec. 



172 SKETCHES OF 

preference, and whatever weakened the moral power of 
the Hero of New Orleans, weakened also the chances 
of his " foot-step" follower, and swelled the ranks of 
the " straight-outs," or, Jackson men who saw in Har- 
rison his worthiest successor.* 

But all the conventions held east and west were, it is 
believed, inferior to the great concourse which assembled 
at Dayton, on Thursday the 10th of September. The 
approach of Gen. Harrison to that place, and his return 
thence homeward, were perfect triumphal marches. 
Vast multitudes followed hini, and thousands gathered 
along the road sides, greeting him as he came. Wash- 
ington was scarce more warmly welcomed. At Dayton 
from eighty to one hundred thousand were met to receive 
the hero; men and women, for it was supposed that at 
least five thousand ladi»^s were present and active. Here, 
as everywhere along his course, the General by his vigor, 
voice, and power of intellect, elTectually overthrew the 
accusation of his opponents, that he was weak and in- 
capable ; none showed more power or capacity than he. j" 

The same may be said of his appearance at Chilli- 
cothe, where he met some fifty thousand of his fellow 
citizens upon the IGth and 17th of September; at Som- 
erset, where he was upon the 21st; and at (Joluinbus, 
where he spoke upon the ^Sth. It was generally agreed 
that he could travel farther and speak better than any 
young man who could be found. 

On the 5th of October great meetings took place at 
Raleigh, North Carolina, and at Richmond, "Virginia; 
the latter, consisting of from fifteen to twenty thousand 
persons, continued in session three days, and was ad- 
dressed by B. W. Leigh, W. C. Rives, and Daniel 
Webster.iJ: Then commenced the elections, and for a 
time the speaking and singing throughout the land 
ceased, and all stood listening for the result of the sum- 



* See on whole subject Jackson's and Clay's papers in Niles' Reg- 
ister, September 5, 1840, Vol. LIX, (5th Series, Vol. IX,) page 10. 

t On the Dayton Convention see Niles' Register, September 26, and 
October 3d, 1540, (Vol. LIX— 5th Series Vol. IX,) page 56-70. 

t See Niles' Register, October 17, 1840, Vol. LIX [Sth Series, Vol. 
IX,] pages 106 to HI. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 173 

mer's work ; there had not been so great anxiety in re- 
lation to a Presidential election since the contest of Jef- 
ferson and Burr. The number of votes polled was very 
great. In Pennsylvania, where a state election had 
been held two weeks before, and warmly contested, 
there were given on the presidential question over 31,- 
000 additional votes, and the parties were so equally 
balanced that wdth an aggregate of 287,693, Harrison's 
majority was but 343. In Ohio the Harrison electors 
received 148,157 votes, and Van Buren's 1'24,782, giv- 
ing the former a majority of 23,375 on the popular vote. 
Virginia, however, remained true to Mr. Van Buren, 
though by a small vote, Harrison having 41,405, and 
his opponent 42,818 votes. 

The popular electoral votes of the several states on this 
memorable occasion are given in the annexed table ; and 
also the change which had taken place since 1836 : 



174 



SKETCHES OF 



AGGREGATE VOTE, 

i 



ELKCTORAI. VOTE. 



President. llVice President. 



STATES. 



Maine 

New Hampsliire 

Vermont 

Massucluisetts 
Rhode Island- • 
Connecticut • • • 

New York 

New Jersey- •• 
Pennsylvania • 

Delaware 

Maryland 

Virginia 

North Carolina 
South Carolina 

Georgia 

Alabama 

Mississippi- • • 
Louisiana • •• ■ 
Arkansas • •• ■ 
Tennessee • • • 

Kentucky 

Ohio 

Indiana 

Illinois 

Missouri 

Michigan 

Total vote- 



Whig majority- 



Harrison. 



• 4().(irj 

• 3-J.44.'> 

• 7-J.h74 

• • 5.21.J 

• iil:2V2 

• :i:i:.i5i 
144.0 IS 
. - 5.iHi:i 



;i;].5-29 
41,40.5 
40.o7lj 



. 40..349 

• 28.471 
. 19.51 S 

• ll.-iOG 
. . 4,9GI 
. 59.054 
. 58,489 
148.141 
. 65.302 
. 45.537 
. 21.441 
. 22,911 



1,269,763 
1,126.1.37 



143,626 



Van Buren. 



4t>.201 
33,919 
18.00!) 
51.944 

• 3.2G; 
24.S.-V 

212.51! 
31.034 
143.6751 

• 4.«72 
28.754 
42,81 H 
;W,7&y 

31.981) 
33.991 
1G.9<)5 

• 7.617 

• 6,766 
47.482 
32,616 

124.780 
51,604 
47,476 
28.043 
21,106 



1,126,1.3^ 



X 


■< 


H 


V* 


H 


p 


p 


K^ 




p 


1 
1 


p 


<t 


~ 


N 


O 


p 
£ 


• 


71 

o 

3 


2- 

• 


10 





10 











7 





7 





7 





7 








14 





14 








4 





4 








8 





8 








42 





42 








y 





8 








30 





30 








3 





3 








10 





10 











2;i 





22 





15 





15 











11 








11 


11 





11 











7 





7 





4 





4 








5 





5 











3 





3 





15 





15 








15 





15 








1 





21 








9 





9 











5 





5 








4 





4 





3 





3 








234 


60 


234 


48" 


11 


60 




60 






174 




174 







o 















1 


















* South Carolina chooses her electors by the Legislature. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 173 

IRIO. 1830. 

Harrison. Whirr. Van Hnren. 

New England 35,021 7,()92 

Middle States 'Jl,8li> 'J7,l>-Jl 

Western States 07,7 (JH ..i3l,5l)8 

Southern States 18,418 ....lJ,jJ7 

Harrison's maj. in 18 10.. 11 3,G-JG 21,568 4H,li:{ 
VanBuren's niaj. in '30. . 20,575 21,50rt 

Whig gain since '30. . . . 170,201 20,575 

On the 20th of January, 1841, Gen. Harrison left Cin- 
cinnati on his way to Washington. His di-j)ariurt> was 
witnessed by a collection of ten or twelve ilimisaiid of 
his fellow citizens, who little thought that they were 
never to see him again. From the deck of the boat he 
spoke to the crowd, and feelingly contrasted his posiiion 
and that of the country wJK^n h(^ first reached that hwxl- 
ing, a young ensign in the army, anil at the moment 
he spoke. He asked his political opponents to be just, 
to wait his action as chief matjistrate, and if thai proved 
false to Democracy, then to denounce him. 

His journey was a triumphal procession. At Wheeling, 
Pittsburg, Brownsville, Baltimore, Washington, and 
Richmond, crowds constantly beset him, and he was 
forced to decline shaking hands, in cons(;(|uence of tlie 
extreme pain whieh he already sulfered in his arm. 

On the 20th of February the votes of the electoral col- 
leges were opened in Congress, and the choice of Har- 
rison was officially promulgated. 



CHAPTFR XIV. 

Inauguration of Gen. Harrison, — His mLlri-s!*. — His conduct 
after taking office. — His sickness and (kmth. — l)b<ix)rtal of hij 
remains. — Grant by the nation to bis furiiily. 

As the long expected fourth of March drew near, 
crowds gathered at the capital. The morning of the day 



176 SKETCHES OF 

of inaug-uration was hazy, and betokened rain, but not- 
withstanding these appearances, the streets of Washing- 
ton were filled at an early hour. Soon after 10 o'clock 
the procession which was to escort the President elect, 
formed and proceeded to his quarters ; having received 
him, the vast multitude marched onward to the capitol. 

In the senate chamber, meanwhile, though reserved 
for the privileged persons, a crowd had g-athered at an 
early hour. Long, long, before anything official was to 
be seen or heard, the lady's circular gallery on the one 
hand, and the gentlemen's gallery on the other, were 
filled to overflowing. Nods of recognition, smiles of 
pleasure, peering looks of eager curiosity, everywhere 
met the eye. When some full uniformed officer of the 
army or navy entered the hall, with his straw colored 
plumes and massive epaulettes, what a stretching out of 
snowy necks, what an exchange of inquiries, what looks 
of awakened interest pervaded the circle! Scott, and 
Gaines, Macomb, and Jones, and Wool, presented a 
brilliant group, calling up associations connected with 
our past days of triumph ; while on the opposite side 
might be seen a civil group of no less interest, embra- 
cing the nominated members of the new cabinet, inspi- 
ring auguries not less cheering of future prosperity and 
glory. 

The senate, (convened by the president in extra ses- 
sion) having been called to order by the secretary, the 
oath of office was by order of the senate administered 
by Mr. Ci.ay to Mr. King, of Alabama, (on his re-elec- 
tion for a new term,) who was then unanimously elected 
president pro tempore of that body. 

Mr. King thereupon took the chair of the senate. 

The Diplomatic Corps now entered the hall, and 
assumed the seats provided for them in front, and on the 
left of the chair. A most brilliant appearance they made, 
decorated as they were, not only with the insignia of 
their various orders, but half covered with the richest 
embroidery in silver and in gold. Had this group of 
distinguished personages, however, been stripped of all 
external designations, the eye of the most casual obser- 
ver could not have failed instantly to recognize the 



GENERAL HARRISON. 177 

marked difForence wliich distinjruished them from othor* 
as tbreifiKTS. 

On lh«^ opposite side of the chair, appeared, soon af- 
ter, in the strongest contrast, the array of the judjres of 
the supreme court, in their hhick mhes, with thrir j^r.ive, 
intellectual, reflcctinjr countenances. 'I'hrrt' whs a sim- 
pie, quiet, unpretendintr air ahout lliis hody of highly 
diffnified men, to which outward adornments would have 
added nothin<>" but an alloy. 

The late Vice l^KKsintNT and the Vick PiiKsiriKNT 
elect became the next objects of notice. 'I'hey advanced 
together to the steps of the president's chair, when Mr. 
Tyler, having bctMi presented to the presiding officer, 
took the oath of ofhce, and then ascemling to the chair, 
which had been vacated for his reception by .Mr. Kino, 
delivered with much grace, diiriiity, and self possession, 
an address to the senate, of moderate length, marked by 
modest)', propriety, and sound sense. 

The new senators were then successively sworn in, 
and took their seats. 

At twenty minutes past twelve o'clock, the warning 
note was heard from tin; table of the Vice Prksioknt, 
when Gen. Haiuuson entered and took the st ai prepared 
for him in front of the secretary's table. H«( looked 
cheerful but composed ; his l)odily health was manifestly 
perfect; there was an alertness in his movement which 
was quite astonishing, considering his advanced age, 
the multiplied hardships through which his fnime had 
passed, and the fatigues he had lately undergone. 

After he had retained his seat fnr a few minutes, prepa- 
rations were made for forming the line of pr<»ression to 
the platform prepared for the ceremony of the inaugura- 
tion, erected over the front steps of the portico of the east 
front of the capitol. The procession was in the pr.*- 
scribed order, as announced the day before by authority 
of the conmiittee of the senate. 

It was not without great difficulty, and very severe 
pressure, that the body of citizens who followed and ac- 
companied this train passed out of the east dm.r of the 
rotunda : and tiie inatlequate and disnroporlionate sim 
of that entrance (always a defect at lea6^ if not a de- 
12 



178 SKETCHES OF 

formity) was never more sensibly manifested. Some 
ladies suffered severely from the pressure of the crowd, 
but no serious accident is known to have occurred. 

On the platform, seats had been provided for the Pres- 
ident and the Chief Justice, who were placed imme- 
diately in front. On their right, seats were assigned to 
the diplomatic corps. Behind sat members of both 
houses of congress, officers of the army and navy, and 
many distinguished characters who had assembled in 
the city, intermingled with a great company of ladies, 
who occupied not only the steps in the rear of the plat- 
form, but both the broad abutments of stone which sup- 
port the steps on either side. Temporary balustrades 
had been placed around those exposed spaces, without 
which they would have been a very unsafe station, more 
especially for females. 

But the sight which attracted and arrested and filled 
the eyes of all those who were fortunate enough to get 
a favorable post of observation from which to witness 
the scene, was the people. 

There they stood, and had stood for hours, in a solid 
dense mass, variously estimated to contain (in the space 
before the capitol and extending back some distance 
into the open square) from thirty to fifty, and even sixty 
thousand. Happy was the man who could climb upon 
railing, or post, or pillar, to obtain a better sight of the 
expected object. All such places were filled, piled up, 
with clinging occupants ; some ascended the trees in the 
square, whose branches, in their denuded condition, af- 
forded an unobstructed prospect. On the verge of tiie 
crowd were drawn up carriages, filled with ladies; 
while here and there peered up a standard, bearing a pa- 
cific banner, or the stand of colors of some volunteer 
company. 

While patiently waiting for the arrival of the presi- 
dent, this mass of heads resembled some placid lake, 
not in a perfect calm, but gently rippled by a passing 
breeze, its waters in perpetual but gentle motion ; but 
the instant he was seen advancing from the capitol, it 
suddenly resembled that same lake, when a blast from 
the mountain has descended upon it, thrown it into tu- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 179 

multuous agitation, and " lifted up ita hands on hiKh.'* 
A deafening shout went up from the frhid hearts and 
exulting voices of an oinnucipated people. It sung wel- 
come to the MAN whom the i'Kopi.k delight to honor, and 
must have met, with overwhelming power, the tliroh- 
bings of his own bosom. 

When the uproar had subsided, it was succeeded by 
the deep stillness of expectation, .md the new president 
forthwith proceeded to read, in accents loud and clear, 
his address to the nation, which we subjoin entire, as 
containing his full political creed, and showing the prin- 
ciples by which, had he lived, he would have been 
guided. In the delivery of this address, the voice of 
Gen. Harrison never flajjoed, but to the end retained its 
full and commanding tone. As he touched on succes- 
sive topics, lying near the heart of the people, their 
sympathy with its sentiments was manifested by shouts 
which broke forth involuntarily from time to time; and 
when the reading of the address was concluded, they 
were renewed and prolonged without restraint. 

Previous to delivering the closing sentences of the 
address, the oath of office, tendered by the Chief Jus- 
tice, was taken by the Presidknt, in tones loud, dis- 
tinct, and solemn, manifesting a due and deep impression 
of the importance of the act ; after which, the Prksidlnt 
pronounced the remaining passage of his address. 

The pealing cannon then announced to the country 
that it had a new Chikf Magistrate. The procession 
was again formed, and, setting out from the c;\j)itol, pro- 
ceeded along Pennsylvania avenue to the mansion of the 
president, cheered throughout the whole route as (ien. 
Harrison passed, by the immense crowds on foot which 
lined the avenue, and the hardly less numerous assembly 
of females who filled the doors and windows along tlie 
whole route. 

Nearly the whole throng of visitors accompanied the 
President to his new abode, and as many as possible 
entered and paid their personal respects to hin>. The 
whole building, however, could hardly conUiin a fortieth 
part of them, so that very many were unable to obtain 
admission at all. A popular president will, on such an 



180 SKETCHES OF 

occasion, always be surrounded by more friends tban it 
is possible for him to receive and recognize otherwise 
than in masses. 

The close of the day was marked by the repetition of 
salutes of artillery, the whole city being yet alive with 
a population of strangers and residents, whom the mild- 
ness of the season invited into the open air. 

In the evening the several ball rooms and places of 
amusement were filled with crowds of gentlemen and 
ladies, attracted to the city by the novelty and interest 
of the great occasion. In the course of the evening, the 
president of the United States paid a short visit to each 
of the assemblies held in honor of the inauguration, and 
was received with the warmest demonstrations of attach- 
ment and respect. 

The end of the day was marked, as its progress from 
the earl)' morning hour had been, by quiet and order, not 
only remarkable, but astonishing, considering the vast 
crowd of persons, the excitement of the occasion, vind 
the temptations which it offered to undue exhilaration. 
No accident or incident whatever occurred, it is believed, 
to leave a pain or pang behind it, or to mar the gratifi- 
cation of the multitude of those who rejoiced in their 
hearts that they had lived long enough to see that day. 



GENERAL HARRISON. 181 

PRESIDKXT HARRISON'S 

INAUGURAL SPEECH, 

March 4, 1811, 

On entering upon the duties qfthe office of President of the United States. 

Called from a retirement which I had supposed was 
to continue for the residue of my life, to fill the Chief 
Executive office of this orreat and free nation, I appear 
before you, fellow-citizens, to take the oath which the 
Constitution prescribes as a necessary (lualificaiion for 
the performance of its duties. And in obedience to 
a custom coeval with our Government, and what 1 
believe to be your expectations, I proceed to presi'nt to 
you a summary of the principles which will govern me 
in the discharge of the duties which I shall be called 
upon to perform. 

It was the remark of a Roman Consul, in an early 
period of that celebrated Republic, that a most striking 
contrast was observable in the conduct of candidates for 
offices of power and trust, before and afti r obuiining 
them — they seldom carrying out in the latter case the 
pledges and promises made in the former. However 
much the world may have improved, in many respects, 
in the lapse of upwards of two thousand years since the 
remark was made by the virtuous and indignant Roman, 
I fear that a strict examination of the annals of some of 
the modern elective Ciovernments, would develope simi- 
lar instances of violated confidence. 

Although the fiat of the People has gone forth, pro- 
claiming me the Chief Ma<jistrate of this glorious I'nion, 
nothing upon their part remaining to be done, it may be 
thought that a motive may exist to keep up the delusion 
under which they may be supposed to have acle«l in re- 
lation to my principles and opinions; and perhaj)s there 
may be some in this assembly who have come hero 
either prepared to condemn those I shall now deliver, or, 
approving them, to doubt the sincerity with which they 
are uttered. But the lapse of a few months will contirm 
or dispel their fears. The outlines of principles to gov- 



182 SKETCHES OF 

em, and measures to be adopted, by an Administration 
not yet begun, will soon be exchanged for immutable 
history ; and I shall stand, either exonerated by my 
countrymen, or classed with the mass of those who pro- 
mised that they might deceive, and Hattered with the in- 
tention to betray. 

However strong may be my present purpose to realize 
the expectations of a magnanimous and confiding People, 
I too well understand the infirmities of human nature, 
and the dangerous temptations to which I shall be ex- 
posed, from the magnitude of the power which it has 
been the pleasure of the People to commit to my hands, 
not to place my chief confidence upon the aid of that Al- 
mighty Power which has hitherto protected me, and en- 
abled me to bring to favorable issues other important, 
but still greatly inferior trusts, heretofore confided to me 
by my country. 

The broad foundation upon which our Constitution 
rests, being the People — a breath of theirs having made, 
as a breath can unmake, change, or modify it — it can be 
assigned to none of the great divisions of Government, 
but to that of Democracy. If such is its theory, those 
who are called upon to administer it must recognise, as 
its leading principle, the duty of shaping their measures 
so as to produce the greatest good to the greatest num- 
ber. But, with these broad admissions, if we would 
compare the sovereignty acknowledged to exist in the 
mass of our people, with the power claimed by other sov- 
ereignties, even by those which have been considered most 
purely democratic, we shall find a most essential differ- 
ence. All others lay claim to power limited only by 
their own will. The majority of our citizens, on the 
contrary, possess a sovereignty with an amount of power 
precisely equal to that which has been granted to them 
by the parties to the national compact, and nothing be- 
yond. We admit of no Government by Divine right — 
believing that, so far as power is concerned, the benefi- 
cent Creator has made no distinction among men ; that 
all are upon an equality ; and that the only legitimate 
right to govern, is an express grant of power from the 
governed. The Constitution of the United States is the 



GENERAL IIAURISON. 183 

instrument containing this grant of power to the several 
departments composiiiir the (»overniiu'nt. On an exam- 
ination of tliat instrument, it will he found to contain de- 
clarations of power g^ranted, and of power withlield. 
The latter is also susceptible of division, into power 
which the majority had the ricrht to grant, but which 
they did not think proper to intrust to their atrcnts, and 
that which they could not have granted, not being pos- 
sessed by themselves. In other words, there are certain 
rights possessed by each individual American citizen, 
which, in his compact with tin^ others, he has never 
surrendered. Some of them, indeed, he is unable to 
surrender, being in the language of our system, unalien- 
able. 

The boasted privilege of a Roman citizen was to him 
a shield only against a petty provincial ruler, whilst the 
proud democrat of Athens could console himself under a 
sentence of death, for a supposed violation of the national 
faith, which no one understood, and which at times was 
the subject of the mockery of all, or of banishnunt from 
his home, his family and his country, with, or without 
an alleged cause ; that it was the act not of a -single ty- 
rant, or hated aristocracy, but of his assembled country- 
men. Far different is the power of our sovereignty. It 
can interfere with no one's faith, prescribe forms of 
worship for no one's observance, intlict no punishment 
but after well ascertained guilt, the result of investiga- 
tion under rules prescribed by the Constitution itself. 
These precious privileges, and those scarcely less im- 
portant, of giving expression to his thoughts and opin- 
ions, either by writing or speaking, unrestrained but by 
the liability for injury to others, and that of a full par- 
ticipation in all the advantages which tlow from the Go- 
vernment, the acknowledged properly of all, the Ameri- 
can citizen derives from no chari»'r granted by his fellow 
man. He claims them because be is himself a Man, 
fashioned by the same Almighty hand as the rest of his 
species, and entitled to a full share of the blessings with 
which he has endowed them. 

Notwithstanding the limited sovereignty possessed 
by the People of the United States, and the restricted 



184 SKETCHES OF 

grant of power to the Government which they have 
adopted, enough has been given to accomplish all the 
objects for which it was created. It has been found 
powerful in war, and, hitherto, justice has been admin- 
istered, an intimate union effected, domestic tranquillity 
preserved, and personal liberty secured to the citizen. 
As was to be expected, however, from the defect of lan- 
guage, and the necessarily sententious manner in which 
the Constitution is written, disputes have arisen as to the 
amount of power which it has actually granted, or was 
intended to grant. This is more particularly the case in 
relation to that part of the instrument which treats of the 
legislative branch. And not only as regards the exer- 
cise of powers claimed under a general clause, giving 
that body the authority to pass all laws necessary to 
carry into effect the specified powers, but in relation to 
the latter also. It is, however, consolatory to reflect 
t\i?it most of the instances of alleged departure from the 
letter or spirit of the Constitution, have ultimately re- 
ceived the sanction of a majority of the people. And the 
fact, that many of our statesmen, most distinguished for 
talent and patriotism, have been at one time or other of 
their political career, on both sides of each of the most 
warmly disputed questions, forces upon us the inference 
that the errors, if errors there were, are attributable to 
the intrinsic difficulty, in many instances, of ascertaining 
the intentions of the framers of the Constitution, rather 
than the influence of any sinister or unpatriotic motive. 

But the great danger to our institutions does not ap- 
pear to me to be in a usurpation, by the Government, of 
power not granted by the people, but by the accumula- 
tion, in one of the Departments, of that which was as- 
signed to others. Limited as are the powers which have 
been granted, still enough have been granted to constitute 
a despotism, if concentrated in one of the departments. 
This danger is greatly heightened, as it has been always 
observable that men are less jealous of encroachments of 
one department upon another, than upon their own re- 
served rights. 

When the Constitution of the United States first came 
from the hands of the Convention which formed it, 

i ... ...... * 



GENERAL HARRISON. 185 

many of the sternest rej)ul>lic;\ns<)f ilit? thiy wero abinufid 
at the extent of tlw- power which had hci'ii irraninl to 
the Federal Governineui, and more p.irlicnhirly of that 
portion whieh had beenassiiriu'd to the liXerutive branch. 
There were in it features which appo.irtid not to hf in h.ir- 
mony with their ideas o( a siinph' representative Dinno- 
craey, or Repuhlic. And kuowin|r the t^^idenry of 
power to increase itself, particularly when exercised by 
a sincrle individual, predictions were made that, at no 
very remote period, the liovernment woulil li^rminale in 
virtual monarchy. It would not become nw to say thai the 
fears of these patriots have been already realised. Hut, 
as I sincerely believe that the tendency of nieasures, and 
of men's opinions, for some y<"ars past, has been in that 
direction, it is, I conceive, strictly |)rop(>r that 1 should 
take this occasion to repeat the assurances I have here- 
tofore criven of my determination to arrest the proirress 
of that" tendency, "if it really exists, an<l restore the (lo- 
vernment to its pristine health and viiror, as far as this 
can be etfected by any leijitimate exercise of the power 
placed in my hands. 

I proceed to state, in as summary a manner as I can, 
my opinion of the sources of the evils which have been 
so extensively complained of, and the correctives which 
may be applied. Some of the former are unquestionably 
to be found in the defects of the Constitution ; others, in 
my judfrment, are attributable to a misconstruction of 
some of its provisions. Of tlie former is the eliiribiliiy 
of the same individual to a second term of the Presidency. 
The sagacious mind of Mr. Jetferson early saw ami la- 
mented''this error, and attempts have been made, hitherto 
without success, to apply the amendatory power of the 
States to its correction. 

As, however, one mode of correction is in the power of 
every President, and consequently in mine, it would bo 
useless, and perhaps invidious, to »>numeraU! the evils 
of which, in the opinion of many of our fellow-cilizens» 
this error of the sajres who frame»l the Constitution may 
have been the source, and the l)itter fruits whi.-h we are 
still to gather from it, if it continues U) disfiiruro our 
system. It may be observed, however, as a general ro- 



186 SKETCHES OF 

mark, that Republics can commit no greater error than 
to adopt or continue any feature in their systems of go- 
vernment which may be calculated to create or increase 
the love of power, in the bosoms of those to whom ne- 
cessity obliges them to commit the management of their 
affairs. And, surely, nothing is more likely to produce 
such a state of mind than the lonof continuance of an of- 
fice of high trust. Nothing can be more corrupting, 
nothing more destructive of all those noble feelings 
which belong to the character of a devoted republican 
patriot. When this corrupting passion once takes pos- 
session of the human mind, like the love of gold, it be- 
comes insatiable. It is the never-dying worm in his 
bosom, grows with his growth, and strengthens with the 
declining years of its victim. If this is true, it is the 
part of wisdom for a republic to limit ihe service of that 
officer, at least, to whom she has intrusted the manage- 
ment of her foreign relations, the execution of her laws, 
and the command of her armies and navies, to a period so 
short as to prevent his forgetting that he is the account- 
able agent, not the principal — the servant not the master. 
Until an amendment of the Constitution can be effected, 
public opinion may secure the desired object. I give my 
aid to it by renewing the pledge heretofore given, that, 
under no circumstances, will I consent to serve a second 
term. 

But if there is danger to public liberty from the ac- 
knowledgred defects of the Constitution, in the want of 
limit to the continuance of the executive power in the 
same hands, there is, I apprehend, not much less from a 
misconstruction of that instrument, as it regards the 
powers actually given. I cannot conceive that, by a fair 
construction, any or either of its provisions would be 
found to constitute the President a part of the legislative 
power. It cannot be claimed from the power to recom- 
mend, since, although enjoined as a duty upon him, it is 
a privilege which he holds in common with every other 
citizen. And although there may be something more of 
confidence in the propriety of the measures recommended 
in the one case than in the other, in the obligations 
of ultimate decision there can be no difference. In the 



GENERAL HARRISON. 187 

lans^iaore of the Constitution, *' all Irijislativo nowrrs" 
which it <rraiits " am vostod in tho (^fmjjross ot' the 
United States." It would l)e a solecism in lar)i^Mia<re to 
say that any portion of these is not includfd in the 
whole. 

It may be said, indeed, that the Constitution has rriven 
to the Executive the power to annul the acts of the leiris- 
lative body, by refusing to them his assent. So a sim- 
ilar power has necessarily resulted from that instnnnent 
to the Judiciary ; and yet the Judiciary furins no part of 
the Legislature. There is. it is true, this dilfrrence 
between these grants of power : the Kxecutive can put 
his negative upon the acts of the legislature for other 
cause than that of want of conformity to the Con- 
stitution ; whilst the Judiciary can only declare void 
those which violate that instrument. But the decision 
of the Judiciary is final in such a case ; whereas, in ev- 
ery instance where the veto of the Kxecutive is applied, 
it maybe overcome by a veto of two-thirds of both 
Houses of Congress. The negative upf)n the acts of 
the legislative, by the Executive authority, and that in 
the hands of one individual, would seem to bo an incon- 
o-ruity in our system. Like some others of a similar 
character, however, it appears to be highly expedient ; 
and if used only with the forbearance, and in the spirit 
which was intended by its authors, it n>ay be productive 
of great good, and be found one of the best safe-guards 
to the Union. At the period of the formation of the 
Constitution, the principle does not appear to have en- 
joyed much favor in the State Governments. It existed 
but in two, and in one of these there was a plural Exec- 
utive. If we would search for the motives which operated 
upon the purely patriotic and enli«rhtened assembly which 
framed the Constitution, for the adoption of a provision 
so apparently repugnant to the lea.ling democratic i)rin- 
ciple, that the majority should <n)vern, we must reject 
the idea that they anticipated from it any benefit to the 
ordinary course of legislation. They knew too well 
the high degree of intelligence which existed among the 
People, and the enlightened character of the State Legis- 
latures, not to have the fullest confidence that the two 



188 SKETCHES OF 

bodies elected by them would be worthy of such con- 
stituents, and, of course, that they would require no aid 
in conceiving and maturinor the measures which the cir- 
cumstances of the country might require. And it is pre- 
posterous to suppose that a thought could for a moment 
have been entertained, that the President, placed at the 
capital, in the centre of the country, could better under- 
stand the wants and wishes of the people, than their own 
immediate representatives, who spend a part of every 
year among them, living with them, often laboring with 
them, and bound to them by the triple tie of interest, 
duty, and affection. To assist or control ('ongress, then, 
in its ordinary legislation, could not, 1 conceive, have 
been the motive for conferring the veto power on the 
President. This argument acquires additional force from 
the fact of its never having been thus used by the first 
six Presidents — and two of them were members of the 
convention, one presiding over its deliberations, and the 
other having a larger share in consummating the labors 
of that august body than any other person. But if bills 
were never returned to Congress by either of the Presi- 
dents above referred to, upon the ground of their being 
inexpedient, or not as well adapted as they might be to 
the wants of the People, the veto was applied upon that 
of want of conformity to the Constitution, or because er- 
rors had been committed from a too hasty enactment. 

There is another ground for the adoption of the Veto 
principle, M'hich had probably more influence in recom- 
mending it to the Convention than any other. I refer to 
the security which it gives to the just and equitable ac- 
tion of the Legislature upon all parts of the Union. It 
could not have but occurred to the Convention that, in a 
country so extensive, embracing so great a variety of soil 
and climate, and, consequently of products, and which, 
from the same causes, must ever exhibit a great difference 
in the amount of population of its various sections, calling 
for a great diversity in the employments of the people, that 
the legislation of the majority might not always justly 
regard the rights and interests of the minority. And 
that acts of this character might be passed, under an ex- 
press grant by the words of the Constitution, and, there- 



GENERAL HARRISON. |M 

fore, not witliin the competency of the Jiidiriary lo de- 
clare void, 'i'hal liowever eiiliirluened and patriotic 
they might suppose, from past experience, the mcmhcrs 
of Conjrress might be, and however largely partaking, 
in the treneral, of the iihorai frelinfrs of the Pt-opl*', it 
was impossible to expect that bodies so consiitutrd 
should not sometimes be controlled by local interests and 
sectional feelincrs. It was proper, therefore, to provide 
some umpire, from whose situation and nioile of appoint- 
ment more independence and freedom from such influ- 
ences might be expected. Such a one was afforded by 
the Executive Department, constituted by the Constitu- 
tion. A person elected to that high oflice, having his 
constituents in every section, State, and subdivision of 
the Union, must consider himself bound bv the most 
solemn sanctions, to guard, protect, and defend the rights 
of all, and of every portion, great or small, from the in- 
justice and oppression of the rest. I consider the veto 
power, therefore, given by the Constitution to the K.\- 
ecutive of the United States, solely as a conservative 
power. To be used only, 1st, to protect the Constitu- 
tion from violation ; '2dly, the People from thr ffftcts 
of hasty legislation, where their will has hci a probably 
disregarded or not well understood; and, 3dly, to pre- 
vent the effects of combinations violative of the rit^hts of 
minorities. In reference to the second of these objects, 
I may observe that, I consider it the right and privilege 
of the People to decide disputed points of the Constitu- 
tion, arising from the general grantof power to Congress 
to carry into effect the powers expressly given. .\nd I 
believe, with Mr. Madison, " that repeated recognitions 
under varied circumstances, in acts of the legislative, 
executive, and judicial branches of the Government, ac- 
companied by indications in different nio<ies, of the 
concurrence of the general will of the nation, as affording 
to the President sufhcic nt authority for his considering 
such disputed points as settled." 

Upwards of half a century has elapso<l since the 
adoption of our present form of rJovernmont. It would 
be an object more highly desirable tlian the gratiticaiion 
of the curiosity of speculative statesmen, if its precise 



190 SKETCHES OF 

situation could be ascertained, and a fair exhibit made 
of the operations of each of its Departments; of the Pow- 
ers which they respectively claim and exercise ; of the 
collisions which have occurred between them, or between 
the whole Government and those of the States, or either 
of them. We could then compare our actual condition af- 
ter fifty years' trial of our system, with what it was in the 
commencement of its operations, and ascertain whether 
the predictions of the patriots who opposed its adop- 
tion, or the confident hopes of its advocates, have been 
best realized. The great dread of the former seems to 
have been, that the reserved powers of the States would 
be absorbed by those of the Federal Government, and a 
consolidated power established, leaving to the States the 
shadow only of that independent action for which they 
had so zealously contended, and on the preservation of 
which they relied as the last hope of liberty. Without 
denying that the result to which they looked with so 
much apprehension is in the way of being realized, it is 
obvious that they did not clearl}'^ see the mode of its ac- 
complishment. The General Government has seized 
upon none of the reserved rights of the States. As far 
as any open warfare may have gone, the State authori- 
ties have amply maintained their rights. To a casual 
observer, our system presents no appearance of discord 
between the different members which compose it. 
Even the addition of many new ones has produced no 
jarring. They move in their respective orbits in perfect 
harmony with the central head, and with each other. 
But there is still an under current at work, by which, if 
not seasonably checked, the worst apprehensions of our 
anti-federal patriots will be realized. And not only will 
the State authorities be overshadowed by the great in- 
crease of the power in the Executive Department of the 
General Government, but the character of that Govern- 
ment, if not its designation, be essentially and radically 
changed. This state of things has been in part effected 
by causes inherent in the Constitution, and in part by 
the never-failing tendency of political power to increase 
itself. By making the President the sole distributor of 
all the patronage of the Government, the framers of the 



GENERAL HARRISON. 191 

Constitution do not appoar tu hav«j aiitioipatod at how 
short a period it wouhi ht'conu} a t'ormidahh; iiiHiniiiHinl 
to control the free operations of the Stat** {jovi-rntiunij*. 
Of triHintj importance at tirst, it iiad, early in .Mr. JillVr- 
son's administration, bcconie so powerrul as to rr»-ate 
great ah\rm in thi; niiml of that patriot, from tiiu polrnt 
influence it miifht exert in contndlinj; the freedom of the 
elective franchise. If such could have then heen tin; ef- 
fects of its influence, how much greater must he. tho 
danger at tiiis time, (|uadrupled in amount, as it certainly 
is, and more completely under the control of the Execu- 
tive will, than their construction of the powers allowed, 
or the forbearing characters of all the early Presidents 
permitied them to make. lUil it is not hy the exii-nt 
of its patronage alone that the Executive Department 
has become dangerous, but by the use which it appears 
may be maiie of the appniniinfr power, to bring under its 
control the whole revenues of the country. 

The Constitution has declared it the duty of the Presi- 
dent to see that the laws are executed, and it makes him 
the Commander-in-Chief of the Armies and Navy of iho 
United Suites. If the opinion of the most approved 
writers upon that species of mixed (iovernmi nt, which, 
in modern Europe, is termed Moruirchi/, in contra«lisiinc- 
tion to Dcfpolisin, is correct, there was wantini; no olln-r 
addition to the powers of our C>hief Magisiratu to stamp 
a monarchical character on our Government, but the con- 
trol of the public fin;iuces. And to me it appears strange 
indeed, that anyone should doubt that the entire control 
which the President possesses over th«; olhccrs who 
have the custody of the public money, by the power of 
removal with or without cause, does, for all mischievous 
purposes at least, virtually subject tho treasure also to 
his disposal. The first Roman Emperor, in his attempt 
to seize the sacred treasure, silen(;<jd the opposition of 
the officer to whose charge it had been committed, by a 
significant allusion to his sword. Hy a selection of po- 
litical instruments for the care of the public money, a 
reference to their commissions by a President, would bo 
quite as etfectual an argument as that of Catsar to tho 
Roman Knight. I am not insensible of the great dilh- 



192 SKETCHES OF 

culty that exists in devising a proper plan for the safe- 
keeping and disbursement of the public revenues, and I 
know the importance which has been attached by men of 
great abilities and patriotism to the divorce, as it is called, 
of the Treasury from the banking institutions. It is not 
the divorce which is complained of, but the unhallowed 
union of the Treasury with the Executive Department, 
which has created such extensive alarm. To this dan- 
ger to our republican institutions, and that created by 
the influence given to the Executive through the instru- 
mentality of the Federal officers, I propose to apply all 
the remedies which may be at my command. It was 
certainly a great error in the framers of the Constitution, 
not to have made the officer at the head of the Treasury 
Department entirely independent of the Executive. He 
should at least have been removable only upon the de- 
mand of the popular branch of the Legislature. I have 
determined never to remove a Secretary of the Treasury 
without communicating all the circumstances attending 
such removal to both Houses of Congress. The in- 
fluence of the Executive in controlling the freedom of 
the elective franchise through the medium of the public 
officers, can be effectually checked by renewing the 
prohibition published by Mr. Jetferson, forbidding their 
interference in elections further than giving their own 
votes ; and their own independence secured by an as- 
surance of perfect immunity, in exercising this sacred 
privilege of freemen under the dictates of their own un- 
biassed judgments. Never, with my consent, shall an 
officer of the People, compensated for his services out 
of their pockets, become the pliant instrument of Execu- 
tive will. 

There is no part of the means placed in the hands of 
the Executive which might be used with greater effect, 
for unhallowed purposes, than the control of the public 
press. The maxim which our ancestors derived from 
the mother country, that " the freedom of the press is 
the great bulwark of civil and religious liberty," is one 
of the most precious legacies which they have left us. 
We have learned, too, from our own, as well as the ex- 
perience of other countries, that golden shackles, by 



GENERAL irARRlSOX. 193 



an 



whomsoever or by whatever pretense imposed, am 
fatal to it as the iron bonds of Despotism. T\w pressr>fl 
in the necessary employment of the Government, should 
never be used " to clear the truihy, or to varnish rrjinr-s," 
A decent and manly examination of the acts of the Go- 
vernment, should he not only tolerated, but encf)ura«red. 

Upon another occasion I have rriven my opinion, at 
some length, upon the impropriety of Executive inter- 
ference in the lerrisjalion of Con<rress. That the article 
in the Constitution maliin<r it the duty of the President 
to communicate information, and authorizing him to 
recommend measures, was not intendrd to make him the 
source of lecrislation, and, in particular, tliat ho should 
never be looked to for scliemos of finance. It would be 
very strancre indeed, that the Constitution should have 
strictly forbidden one branch of the; Lefrislaturf from in- 
terferintr in the oricjiuation of such bills, and that it 
should be considered j)roper that an altocrpther dilferent 
department of the Government should be permitted to 
do so. Some of our best political maxims and opinions 
have been drawn from our parent Isle. There are otliers, 
however, W'hicii cannot be iutroduced in our system with- 
out singular incongruity, and the production of much 
mischief. And this I conceive to be one. 

No matter in which of the Houses of Parliament 
a bill may originate, nor by whom introduced, a minis- 
ter, or a member of the opposition, by the fiction of law, 
or rather of Constitutional princijile, the Sovereion is sup- 
posed to have prepared it agfreeably to his will, and then 
submitted it to Parliament for their advice and consent. 
Now, the very reverse is the case here, not only with 
regard to the principle, but the forms prescribed by the 
Constitution. The principle certainly assiirns to the 
only body constituted by the Constitution (the legislative 
body) the power to make laws, and the forms even 
direct that the enactment should be ascribed to them. 

The Senate, in relation to revenue bills, have the ritrht 
to propose amendments ; and so has the Executive, by 
the power given him to return them to the House of 
Representatives, with his objections. It is in his power, 
also, to propose amendments in the existing revenue 
13 



194 SKETCHES OF 

laws, suggested by his observations upon their defective 
or injurious operation. But the delicate duty of devis- 
ing schemes of revenue should be left where the Consti- 
tution has placed it — with the immediate representatives 
of the People. For similar reasons, the mode of keeping 
the public treasure should be prescribed by them ; and 
the fariher removed it may be from the control of the 
Executive, the more wholesome the arrangement, and 
the more in accordance with Republican principle. 

Connected with this subject is the character of the cur- 
rency. The idea of making it exclusively metallic, how- 
ever well intended, appears to me to be fraught with more 
fatal consequences than any other scheme, having no 
relation to the personal rights of the citizen, that has 
ever been devised. If any single scheme could produce 
the eftect of ai resting, at once, that mutation of condition 
by which thousands of our most indigent fellovk^-citizens 
by their industry and enterprise, are raised to the pos- 
session of wealth, that is the one. If there is one meas- 
ure better calculated thvin another to produce that state 
of things so much deprecated by all true republicans, by 
which the rich are daily adding to their hoards, and the 
poor sinking deeper into j)enury, it is an exclusive me- 
tallic currency. Or if there is a process by which the 
character of the country for generosity and nobleness of 
feeling may be destroyed by the great increase and ne- 
cessary toleration of usury, it is an exclusive metallic 
currency. 

Amongst the other duties of a delicate character which 
the President is called upon to perform, is the supervi- 
sion of the government of the Territories of the United 
States. Those of them which are destined to become 
members of our great political family are compensated by 
their rapid progress from infancy to manhood, for the par- 
tial and temporary deprivation of their political rights. It 
is in this District only where American citizens are to be 
found, who, under a settled system of policy, are deprived 
of many important political privileges, without any in- 
spiring hope as to the future. Their only consolation, 
under circumstances of such deprivation, is that of the 
devoted exterior guards of a camp — that their sufferings 



GENERAL HARRISON. ttS 

secure tranquility and saAty within. Are thi-r.- any 
of their couutrynR'M who would sul.jcci ihcm to ^irrMrt 
sacrifices, to any other huiiuliaii..ns than Uu.st. rin,.,,. 
tially necessary to the security of tlie objict for winch 
they were thus separated from thoir frlhnv-<-iii7.rnM ? Arc 
their rights alone not to hv ^'uaraniird hv thr appliraimn 
of those great principles uponwhit-h all our con^inun ,i,n 
are founded ! We are told by the Rrcaiest of HntiHh 
orators and statesmen, that, at the connnenceiiifnt of thr 
war of the Revolution, the most stupid mm-u in Kn<r|.,,„l 
spoke of " their American suhject-s." Arc ih.rr, indrttl, 
citizens of any of our States who have dreamed <>/ their 
subjects in the District of Columbia ' iSuch dreams can 
never he realized by any aaency of mine. 

The people of the District of Columbia are not the 
subjects of the people of the States, but free AmcricBn 
citizens. Being in the latter condition when liie Con- 
stitution was formed, no words used in thai iiotriunrnt 
could have been intended to deprivt- them of that char- 
acter. If there is any thing in the gn-al prinriplts of 
unalienable rights, so emphatically insisU'd upon in our 
Declaration of Independence, they could iu\'\h't make, 
nor the United Slates accept a surrender ol their liber- 
ties, and become the subjects, in other words the slaves, 
of their former fellow citizens. If this be true, and it 
will scarcely be denifd by any one who has a correrl idra 
of his own rights as an American citizen, the yranl to 
Congress of exclusive jurisdiction in the District of Co- 
lumbia, can be interpreted, so far as respects iho aifgre- 
gate people of the United States, as nxMnint^ n ' 
more than to allow to Congress the controlling j •-. . 
necessary to afford a free and safe exercise of the func- 
tions assigned to the General Government by iho Con- 
stitution. In all other respects, the I ' of Con- 
gress should be adapted to their p« , .-.ition and 

wants, and be conformable w ith their deliberate opinions 
ofjtheir own interests. 

I have spoken of the necessity of k • ' the rr««prr- 
tive Departments of the (iovemnu;.;. .. will a** the 
other authorities of our country, within their appropriate 
orbits. This is a matter of dilliculty in some casM, as 



196 SKETCHES OF 

the powers which they respectively claim are often not 
defined by very distinct lines. Mischievous, however, 
in their tendencies, as collisions of this kind may be, 
those which arise between the respective communities, 
which for certain purposes compose one nation, are 
much more so ; for no such nation can long exist with- 
out the careful culture of those feelinss of confidence 
and affection which arc the eti'ective bonds of union be- 
tween free and confederated States. Stroujr as is the tie 
of interest, it has been often found ineffectual. Men, 
blinded by their passions, have been known to adopt 
measures ibr their country in direct opposition to all the 
suggestions of policy. The alternative then, is, to de- 
stroy or keep down a bad passion, by creating and fos- 
tering a good one ; and this seems to be the corner stone 
upon which our American political architects have reared 
the fabric of our Government. The cement which was 
to bind it, and perpetuate its existence, was the affec- 
tionate attachment between all its members. To insure 
the continuance of this feeling, produced at first by a 
community of dangers, of sufferings and of interests, the 
advantages of each were made accessible to all. No 
participation in any good, possessed by any member of 
an extensive confederacy, except in domestic govern- 
ment, was withheld from the citizen of any other mem- 
ber. By a process attended with no dif^culty, no delay, 
no expense but that of removal, the citizen of one might 
become the citizen of any other, and successively of the 
whole. The lines, too, separating powers to be exer- 
cised by the citizens of one State from those of another, 
seem to be so distinctly drawn as to leave no room for 
misunderstanding. The citizens of each State unite in 
their persons all the privileges which that character con- 
fers, and all that they may claim as citizens of the United 
States ; but in no case can the same person, at the same 
time, act, as the citizen of two separate States, and he is 
therefore positively precluded from any interference with 
the reserved powers of any State but that of which he is^ 
for the time being, a citizen. He may indeed offer to the 
citizens of other States his advice as to their management, 



UKNERAL HAUKISOV. 1 U7 

and the form in which it is t.'n<lerecl is left to his own 
discretion and sense of propriety. 

It may be observed, however, that orcanized aasoriA. 
tions of citizens, recjiiirinir compliance with their wmhe*, 
too much resemble the rcnnnnitmlntiniut of Atht-nn to hrr 
allies — supported by an armed uid powerful H.-et. It 
was, indeed, to the ambition of the leadinj/ Stat«n of 
Greece to control the domestic concerns of the oihrr*, 
that the destruction of that celebraU'd confederacy, and 
subsequently of all its miMnbers, is mainly to be aiirilMi- 
ted. And it is owinir to the absence of that spirit, that 
the Helvetic confederacy has for so many yearn b«'«n 
preserved. Never has there been seen in the instiiuiionM 
of the separate members of any confederacy more •'!.- 
ments of discord. In the principh'sand forms of irovern- 
ment and religion, as well as in the circumstances of the 
several cantons, so marked a discrepance was obs«Tva- 
ble, as to promise any thinir but harmony in their ini.r- 
course or permanency in their alliance. And yet, f..r 
ages, neither has been interrupted. Content with iho 
positive benefits which their union produced, with the 
independence and safety from foreiirn . ' 'i 

it secured, these sagacious I'eople resp^ . .. ., i... .,.^;.;..- 
tions of each other, liowever repugnant to their own 
principles and prejudices. 

Our Confederacy, fj-llow-citizens, can only he pre- 
served by the same forbearance. Our citizens must be 
content with the exercise of the powers witli which the 
Constitution clothes them. The attempt of those o( one 
State to control the domestic institutions of anoth»*r, ran 
only result in feelings of distrust and jealousy, th«- 
certain harbingers of disunion, violence, civil war, and 
the ultimate destructi(»n of our free institutionn. Our 
Confederacy is perfectly illustratiMl by the U'rms antl 
principles governing a common copartnerslup. Thorp a 
fund of power is to be exercised und«'r the direction of 
the joint councils of the allied members, hut that which 
has been reserved by the individual meiub"r»i, i- 
gible by the common government or the •■■■ 
members composing it. To attempt it finds i. 
in the principles of our Constitution. It should bo 



198 SKETCHES OF 

our constant and earnest endeavor mutually to cultivate 
a spirit of concord and harmony among the various parts 
of our Confederacy. Experience has abundantly taught 
us that the agitation by citizens of one part of the Union 
of a subject not confided to the General Government, 
but exclusively under the guardianship of the local au- 
thorities, is productive of no other consequences than 
bitterness, alienation, discord, and injury to the very 
cause which is intended to be advanced. Of all the 
great interests which appertain to our country, that of 
union, cordial, confiding, fraternal union, is by far the 
most important, since it is the only true and sure gua- 
ranty of all others. 

In consequence of the embarrassed state of business 
and the currency, some of the States may meet with 
difficulty in their financial concerns. However deeply 
we may regret any thing imprudent or excessive in the 
engagements into which States have entered for pur- 
poses of their own, it does not become us to disparage 
the State Governments, nor to discouraoe them from 
makmg proper efl\)rts for their own relief; on the con- 
trary, it is our duty to encourage them, to the extent of 
our constitutional authority, to apply their best means, 
and cheerfully to make all necessary sacrifices, and sub- 
mit to all necessary burdens, to fulfill their engagements 
and maintain their credit; for the character and credit 
of the several States form part of the character and 
credit of the whole country. The resources of the 
country are abundant, the enterprise and activity of our 
people proverbial ; and we may well hope that wise 
legislation and prudent administration, by the respective 
Governments, each acting within its own sphere, will 
restore former prosperity. 

Unpleasant and even dano-erous as collisions may 
sometimes be between the constituted authorities or the 
citizens of our country, in relation to the lines which 
separate their respective jurisdictions, the results can be 
of no vital injury to our institutions, if that ardent pa- 
triotism, that devoted attachment to liberty, that spirit 
of moderation and forbearance for which our countrymen 
were once distinguished, continue to be cherished. If 



OENKRAL IIAKRISON, 



this continues! to ho tho ruling jt.i.ssiMU of (uir hmhU. ilio 
weaker reoliuijs oi' ilie mistakfn tnlluiHi.iHi will '.. ct- 
reeled, the I'tnpian <lreani8 of the K«"heiuii»j» ; . m 

dissipiited, niul the C()in|>lic'at(><l iotriirucH of 1)10 dein»- 
gog^ue rendered h.irinhss. 'V\w hpitit of liherty i« lb* 
sovereiirn balm fi>r every injury wliieh our inHiituiioM 
may receive. On the ci»nirary, no carp thai can Im« ua«d 
in the construction of our (Jovtrnnicnl ; no diviiiiun of 
powers, no disirihution of checks in its several ilepart- 
mcnts will prove etlretual to keep us a free IN-opI**, if 
this spirit is sulVertd to decay: and dtn-ay it \»ill with- 
out constant nurture. To the neulecl of thia duly, the 
best historians agree in attrihuliinj the ruin of all the Ki»- 
puhlics with whose exist.nce and fall llieir writiiiijH have 
made us aciiuaini»'d. The same causen will ever pro- 
duce the same effects : and as loinj a8 the lore of pi>wer 
is a dominant passion of the human hosmn, and an lone 
as the understand intrs of men can !)«• warp«d and their af- 
fections changed by operations on their passions and pre- 
judices, so lo^ng will the liberty of a people depend upon 
their own constant attention to its pres«rvation. 'iTje 

danger to all well-established free gc.vern '-^ ari»i« 

from the unwillingness of the l*.'o|)le u> in iu 

existence, or from the influence of designing men, divert- 
ing their attention from the quarU^r wh«-nce it a; "le^ 

to^a source fron\ which it can never come, 'i ; ihe 

old trick of those who would usurp the government of 
their country. In the name .-f Democracy ihoy «peak. 
warning the People against the influence of wealth and 
the danger of aristocracy. History, ancient and '- ■'•rn, 
is full ol'such examples. Ca-sar b.'came ihf 1 -if 

the Roman people and the Senate under the prt-iefUK" of 
supporting the democratic claims of the I • 
the aristocracy of the latter; Cromwell, in i... 
of protector of the liberties of the IVopIr, h. ihe 

dictator of KnjTland ; and Holivar possessed liimiiel! of 
unlimited power, with the title of his country's l.ib- 

There is, on the contrary, no single ii.^' - " 

an extensive and well-esiablisht-d r.-p' 

into an aristocracy. The tendencies ol all such l-otern- 

ments in their decline, is to monarchy ; and the antafO- 



200 SKETCHES OF 

nist principle to liberty there is the spirit of faction — a 
spirit which assumes the character, and, in times of 
great excitement, imposes itself upon the People as the 
genuine spirit of freedom, and like the false Christs 
whose coming was foretold by the Saviour, seeks to, 
and were it possible would impose upon the true and most 
faithful disciples of liberty. It is in periods like this 
that it behooves the People to be most watchful of those 
to whom they have intrusted power. And although 
there is at times much difficulty in distinguishing the 
false from the true spirit, a calm and dispassionate 
investigation will detect the counterfeit as well, by the 
character of its operations, as tiie results which are pro- 
duced. The true spirit of liberty, although devoted, 
persevering, bold, and uncompromising in principle, that 
secured, is mild and tolerant and scrupulous as to the 
means it employs ; whilst the spirit of party, assuming 
to be that of liberty, is harsh, vindictive and intolerant, 
and totally reckless as to the character of the allies 
which it brings to the aid of its cause. When the genuine 
spirit of liberty animates the body of a people to a tho- 
rough examination of their affairs, it leads to the excision 
of every excrescence which may have fastened itself upon 
any of the Departments of the Government, and restores 
the system to its pristine health and beauty. But the 
reign of an intolerant spirit of party amongst a free peo- 
ple, seldom fails to result in a dangerous accession 
to the Executive power introduced and established 
amidst unusual professions of devotion to democracy. 

The foregoing remarks relate almost exclusively to 
matters connected with our domestic concerns. It may 
be proper, however, that I should give some indications 
to my fellow citizens of my proposed course of conduct 
in the management of our foreign relations. I assure 
them, therefore, that it is my intention to use every 
means in my power to preserve the friendly intercourse 
which now so happily subsists with every foreign na- 
tion; and that, although, of course, not well informed 
as to the state of any pending negociations with any of 
them, I see in the personal characters of the Sovereigns, 
as well as in the mutual interest of our own and of the 



GENERAL HARRISON. 201 



Governments with which our relations are in(»st intimate, 
a pleasing cruaranty that the harmony vo important to 
the interests of their suhjects, as wt-ll as our citi/fns, 
will not be interriijited by the advancement of any 
claim, or pretension upon their part, to which our honor 
would not permit us to yield. Lonir the defender of my 
country's rio^hts in the field, I trust that my fellow-citi- 
zens will not see in my earnest desire to preserve peace 
with foreig'n Powers any indication that their rights will 
ever be sacrificed, or the honor nf the nation tarnished 
by any adnnssion on the ])arl of their (.'hief Maj^isirate 
unworthy of their former glory. 

In our intt^rcourse with our Abori'^inal neijrhhfjrs, the 
same liberality and justice which marked liie course pro- 
scribed to me by two of my illustrious |)redecessor!*, 
when acting under their direction in the discharge of the 
duties of Superintendent and Commissioner, shall be 
strictly observed. I can conceive of no more sublime 
spectacle — none more likely to propitiate an impartial 
and common Creator, than a rigid ailherence tolheprii>- 
ciples of justice on the part of a powerful nation in its 
transactions with a weaker and uncivilized people, whom 
circumstances have placed at its disposal. 

Before concluding, fellow-citizens, I must say some- 
thing to you on the subject of the parties at this time exist- 
ing "in our country. To me it appears perfectlv clear, 
that the interest of that country recpiires that the viidence 
of the spirit by which those parties are at this time go- 
verned, must be greatly miticrated, if not entirely fxtin- 
guished, or consequences will ensiie which are appalling 
to be thought of. If parties in a Republic are necessary 
to secure a degree of vigilance surticient to kef p the 
public functionaries within the bounds of law and «luty, 
at that point their usefulness ends. Beyond that, they 
become destructive of public virtue, the parents of a 
spirit antagonist to that of liberty, and, eventually, its 
inevitable conqueror. We have examples of HepubliCB, 
where the love of country and of liberty, at one lime, 
were the dominant passions of the wh(de mass of citi- 
zens. And yet, Mith the continuance of the name and 
forms of free Government, not a vestige of these quali- 



202 SKETCHES OF 

ties remaining' in the bosom of any one of its citizens. 
It was the beautiful remark of a disting-uished English 
writer, that " in the Roman Senate, Octavius had a 
party, and Anthony a party, but the Commonwealth had 
none." Yet the Senate continued to meet in the Temple 
of Liberty, to talk of the sacredness and beauty of the 
Commonwealth, and gaze at the statues of the elder 
Brutus and of the Curtii and Decii. And the people as- 
sembled in the forum, not as in the days of Camillus 
and the Scipios, to cast their free votes for annual Magis- 
trates, or pass upon the acts of the Senate, but to receive 
from the hands of the leaders of the respective parties their 
share of the spoils, and to shout for one or the other, as 
those collected in Gaul, or Egypt, and the Lesser Asia, 
would furnish the larger dividend. The spirit of liberty 
had fled, and, avoiding the abodes of civilized man, had 
sought protection in the wilds of Scythiaor Scandinavia; 
and so, under the operation of the same causes and influen- 
ces, it will fly from our Capital and our forums. A calamity 
so awful, not only to our country, but to the world, must 
be deprecated by every patriot ; and every tendency to a 
state of things likely to produce it, immediately checked. 
Such a tendency has existed — does exist. Always the 
friend of my countrymen, never their flatterer, it becomes 
my duty to say to them from this high place, to which 
their partiality has exalted me, that there exists in the 
land a spirit hostile to their best interests — hostile to 
liberty itself. It is a spirit contracted in its views, sel- 
fish in its object. It looks to the aggrandizement of a 
few, even to the destruction of the interest of the whole. 
The entire remedy is with the People. Something, how- 
ever,may be effected by the means which they have placed 
in my hands. It is union that we want, not of a party for 
the sake of that party, but a union of the whole country for 
the sake of the whole country — for the defence of its inter- 
ests and its honor against foreign aggression — for the de- 
fence of those principles for which our ancestors so glori- 
ously contended. As far as it depends upon me, it shall be 
accomplished. All the influence that I possess, shall be 
exerted to prevent the formation at least of an Executive 
party in the halls of the Legislative body. I wish for 



GENERAL HARRISON. 

the support of no ineinl)fr of that hody to any 

of mine tlr.it does not satisfy his judt^rnu-nt ami ht"-f-r'm 
of duty to those from whom he liohls his appun ; 

nor any contidence in advance from llie People, but thai 
asked for by Mr. JolFfrson, "to trivr firmness and etTvcl 
to the Ipofal administration of their atfairs." 

I deem the present occasion suHicienily importintand 
solemn to justify me in expressing to my fell<Av-oitizens 
a profound reverence for the ('hrisiian Heli«;ion, and a 
thoroug^h conviction tliat sound nuirals, relitriouH liberty, 
and a just sense of reliirious responsihiliiv, aro e«!«'n- 
tially connected with all true and lasiinjr happinesH ; and 
to that good BeiniT who has blessed us by the i;ifi«» of 
civil and rclifjious freedom, who watclud over and pros- 
pered the labors of our Fathers, amf has hitherto pre- 
served to us institutions far exceedina^ in excellence 
those of any other people, let us unite in commending 
every interest of our beloved country in all future liuje. 

Fellow-citizens — HeioLf fully invesl*'d with that hij;li 
office to which the partiality of my countrymen has called 
me, I now take an aft'ectionate leave of you. You will 
bear with you to your homes the remembmrt'e of ibo 
pledge I have this day given, to discharge all the high 
duties of my exulted station, according to the best of 
my ability; and I shall enter upon their performance 
with entire confidence in the support of a just and gen- 
erous People. 

We cannot undertake to give a detail of the events of 
the short month which passed between the inauguraii-n 
and the death of General Harrison. Few men in i.'i.* 
same space of time have really labon-d more or Buf- 
fered more, than he. His wish and whole purpoR*. was, 
as his dying words expressed it, to " understand iho 
true principFes of the (Jovernmcnt," and have ••them 
carried out." The infamous principle that lo lh#» vic- 
tors in a political contest belong the spoils, — which if, 
in other words, the principle that Politicians labor fur 
themselves at the expense of the country,— ihi» Nevr- 
gate code of political morals was utterly abhorrent to 
the soul of Harrison. Equally obnoxious lo him wm 



204 SKETCHES OF 

the system which, of necessity, grew out of the " Victor 
code," the system of using official power to serve party 
purposes. He saw clearly that to assert the right of the 
victors to the spoils was of necessity to teach the win- 
ners of all spoils, {alias office-holders,) to use their in- 
fluence, not for the public good, but for the insurance of 
another victory and farther spoils. Seeing this, the 
President, — who could himself bear witness that through 
a long life of office-holding he had never used his office 
for personal or party aggrandizement, — caused to be 
written the following letter, a worthy memorial of his 
purposes and views: — 

r I R C U L A R . 

Department of State, March 20th, 1841. 
To THE Hon. Thomas Ewing, Sec. of Treasury. 

Sir: — The President is of opinion that it is a great 
abuse to bring the patronage of the general Government 
into conflict with the freedom of elections ; and that 
this abuse ought to be corrected wherever it may have 
been permitted to exist, and to be prevented for the future. 

He therefore directs that information be given to all 
officers and agents in your department of the public 
service, that partisan interference in popular elections, 
whether of State officers or officers of this government, 
and for whomsoever or against wholnsoever it may be 
exercised, or the payment of any contribution or assess- 
ment on salaries, or official compensation for party or 
election purposes, will be regarded by him as cause of 
removal. 

It is not intended that any officer shall be restrained in 
the free and proper expression and maintenance of his 
opinions respecting public men, or public measures, or 
in the exercise, to the fullest degree, of the constitutional 
right of suff"rage. But persons employed under the go- 
vernment, and paid for their services out of the public 
treasury, are not expected to take an active or officious 
part in attempts to influence the minds or votes of others ; 
such conduct being deemed inconsistent with the spirit 
of the constitution, and the duties of public agents acting 
under it ; and the President is resolved, so far as de- 



CENKRAL HAKKISO.N. 205 

pends upon him, that whilo tho pxorrisp of the rUTiivc 
Iranchise hy ilic |)fuplt; shall he Ircu rniin iiiidiu- iiillu- 
ence of official stations and authority, (>pini«)n shall also 
be free among the ofliccrs and a^tnts of the ^roveru- 
raent. 

The President wishes it furllur to be annoiinrod 
and distinctly understood, that from all collcriinir aiid 
disbursing otlicers promptitude in renderinnr arcounl«, 
and entire punctuality in payinir balances, will be rig- 
orously exacted. In his opinion it is tiim; to return, in 
this respect, to the early j)raclicc of the fjovcrnni ni, 
and to hold any dejrree of delinquency on the part of 
those entrusted with the ])ublic money, just causo for 
immediate removal. 

He deems the severe observance of this rule to be es- 
sential to the public service, as every dollar lost to the 
treasury by the unfaithfulness in ollicers, creates a neces- 
sity tor a new chartre upon the people. 
I have the honor to be, sir, 

Your obedient servant, 

DAMEI. WKIlSTKIi.* 

Nor was it alone to the o-reat national evil ^f ofTice- 
holding that Harrison directed his attention. He knew 
that in the cit}' of W asliini^ton there was cause to fear 
a needless and thriftless expenditure of th»' public funds, 
and in order to ascertain the facts and correct the abuse, 
if any existed, addressed the following letter to the fjcn- 
tlemen therein named : 

Departmcixt <>f Slate, March 27th, 1811. 

To AI. St. Clair Clark, William S Mlrfhkv, and 
Hudson M. Garland, Esys : 

Gentlemen: — It is the desire of the President to be 
fully acquainted with the sUitt^ of procjress in which tho 
public works in this city now are, and with tlu' decree 
of skill, fidelity, and economy with which iln'se works 
are carried on. For this purpose he has appointed you 
a conmiittee of examination and inquiry, aiv! he wishes 
you to direct your attention to the foilowing points : 

* Similar Icucrs were al«o addressed to olher hcods of depart- 
ments. 



206 SKETCHES OF 

1st. What is the number of persons employed on the 
public buildings now in progress in the city, exclusive 
of laborers ] This is the more necessary, as many of 
these persons hold offices not created by specific pro- 
visions of the law. 

2d. What is the respective duty of each of these 
persons ? 

3d. What prices are paid to them for their services; 
whether in any case the compensation is unreasonably 
large ] 

4th. Whether there has been, or is, any just ground 
for complaint against those persons, or any of them, 
either in regard to their own diligence and skill, or in 
regard to their treatment of laborers employed by them? 

If you have any reason to suppose that any have 
been guilty of misconduct, you will state the charge to 
him, and give him an opportunity to answer it; and will 
report no evidence, if the party shall not have had 
notice. 

You vi'ill inquire into no man's political opinions or 
preferences; but if it be alleged that any person, having 
the power of employing and dismissing laborers, has 
used that power, either in employing or dismissing, 
"with any reference to the political opinions of those who 
may have been employed or dismissed, or for any po- 
litical party or object whatever, or in any way violated his 
duty for party or election purposes, you will inquire into 
the truth of such suggestion ; and if you have reason 
to think it well founded, in any case, you will state the 
particular facts and circumstances on which your opinion 
is formed. 

It is not intended that this commission should be of 
long continuance, nor be attended with any considerable, 
expense. You will use as much dispatch, therefore, as 
the nature of the case may allow, and make report to 
this department. A reasonable sum will be allowed to 
you for your time and service out of the appropriate 
fund. 

By the President's order. 

DANIEL WEBSTER, 

Secretary of State. 



\ 



GENERAL HARRISON. 207 

Such were the first proofs given to the puhlic of 
Harrison's wishes and intentions. Meantime lie was 
overwhehned by the visits of interested and disinterestod 
persons, office-seekers and friends, iiarpies and whole- 
souled patriots. Never wouKJ lie refuse any one. N.iy, 
he went abroad early every morning-, and generally 
picked up somebody to breakfast with iiim, in a homely, 
friendly way, as with "the fanner of North Rend.'* 
One morning, in the last week of .March, the very week 
in which the commission we have just (juoted was is- 
sued, the President, during his usual walk, was over- 
taken by a shower violent enough to give him a thorough 
wetting, which was followed by a slight cold. This he 
paid no attention to, and although upon Thursday, the 
25th of Marcii, he felt decidedly sick, he would not re- 
fuse a single visitor, or postpone a single duty. On the 
2Gth, meeting an old s!iii)-m;itp, and finding he was in 
reduced circunistances, the General took him home, 
gave him his bre/akfast, and then wrote for him tht^ fol- 
lowing letter, the last Idler which he wrute, so far as 
is known : 

lV(ishingio7u ^Gfh March, IS 11. 

Dear Sir: — The bearer hereof, Mr. Thomas Tucker, 
a veteran seaman, came with me from Carthagena, as 
the mate of the brig Monti. I ia, in the year 18-2I>. In an 
association of several weeks, I formed a high opinion 
of his character — so much so that (expressing a desire 
to leave the sea) I invited him to come to North IJend 
and spend the remaind(>r of his days with me. 

Subsequent misfortunes prevented his doing so, as he 
was desirous to bring some money with him to com- 
mence farming operations. His bad fortune still con- 
tinues, having been scv(>ral times shipwrecked within a 
few years. He says that himself and family are now 
in such a situation that the humlilest employnient would 
be acceptable to him. I write this to recommend him 
to your favorable notice. I am persuaded that no one 
possesses, in a higher degree, the virtues of fidelity, hon- 
esty, and indefatigable industry, and I might add in- 



208 SKETCHES OF 

domitable bravery, if that was a quality necessary for 
the kind of employment he seeks. 

Yours very truly, W. H. HARRISON. 

Edward Curtis, Esq., Collector of New York. 

On the afternoon of Saturday, the 27th, however, the 
very day on which the commission to Messrs. Clarke, 
Murphy, and Garland is dated, the malady of the Chief 
Magistrate assumed an aspect too serious to be trifled 
with. A chill, accompanied by fever, and soon fol- 
lowed by symptoms of violent internal inflammation, 
forced the unwilling- invalid to seek his bed ; the bed 
from which he was never to rise again I What subse- 
quently occurred is best told in the language of his 
physicians. 

To THK Hon. D. Webster, Secretary of Slate : 

On Saturday, March 27, 1841, President Harrison, 
after several days' previous indisposition, was seized 
with a chill and other symptoms of fever. The next 
day pneumonia, with congestion of the liver and de- 
rangement of the stomach and bowels, was ascertained 
to exist. The age and debility of the patient, with im- 
mediate prostration, forbade a resort to general blood 
letting. Topical depletion, blistering and appropriate 
internal remedies, subdued, in a great measure, the dis- 
ease of the lungs and liver, but the stomach and intes- 
tines did not regain a healthy condition. 

Finally, on the 3d of April, at 3 o'clock, P. M., pro- 
fuse diarrhoea came on, under which he sank, at 30 
minutes to 1 o'clock, on the morning of the 4th. 

The last words uttered by the President, as heard by 
Dr. Worthington, were these : "Sir, I wish you to un- 
derstand the true principles of the government. I wish 
them carried out. I ask nothing more." 

THOMAS MILLER, M. D. 

Mt ending Physician, 
FRED. MAY, M. D. 
N. W. WORTHINGTON, M. D. 
J. C. HALL, M. D. 
ASHTON ALEXANDER, M. D. 

Consulting Physicians, 



\ 



GENERAL HARRISON. 209 

This sad event, feared, dreaded, and looked forward 
to by many, — though to most, we think, strange and 
unlooked for, — was at once made public by the follow- 
ing document: 

Washington, .flpril \th, 1811. 

An all-wise Providence having suddenly removed 
from this life William Henry Harrison, late Presi- 
dent of the United States, we have thought it our duty, 
in the recess of Conjjress, and in the absence of the 
Vice Presidknt from the seat of oovernment, to make 
this afflicting bereavement known to the country, by this 
declaration under our hands. 

He died at the President's bouse, in this city, tiiis 4th 
day of April, Anno Domini 1811, at thirty minutes be- 
fore one o'clock in the morning. 

The people of the United Slates, overwhelmed, like 
ourselves, by an event so unexpected and so melancholy, 
will derive consolation from knowing that hi.s death 
was calm and resigned, as his life has been patriotic, 
useful and distincruished ; and that the last utterance 
from his lips exjiressed a fervent desire for t'l'' perpt!tu- 
ity of the constitution, and the preservation of its true 
principles. In death, as in life, the happiness of his 
country was uppermost in his tlioughts. 

DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary of State, 
THOMAS EVVING, Sec. of ike^Trtasury. 
JOHN BELL, Sec. of War. 
J. J. CIUT'I'EXDEN, .Utnrnty General, 
FRANCIS CJHANGEK, Po&i Master General, 
Thus were the hopes of a majority of the American 
people dashed to the dust, and the morning of Commer- 
cial and Political prosperity was clouded. For a time, 
however, men did not think of the personal and pecu- 
niary evils that were likely to follow the death of Har- 
rison, but thought only of the public loss, the national 
bereavement. The evidences, both at Washington and 
elsewhere, of the strong feeling of confidence and love 
which the hero of the West had excited, were too 
marked to be forgotten : our limits will allow us to men- 
tion only the proceedings at the Capital. 
14 



210 SKETCHES OF 

" Wednesday having been set apart for the solemni- 
ties of the funeral of the late President, some anxiety 
was felt, in the early part of the morning, as to the 
weather, for the sky was overcast, and fears were en- 
tertained lest it should come on to rain ; but as the day 
advanced, these apprehensions were dissipated, and 
though it continued rather cool, this did but favor the 
march of the troops and of the other numerous collec- 
tions of persons who formed portions of the funeral 
procession. 

At sunrise, the sound of cannon from the several mili- 
tary stations in the vicinity of the city, heralded th«- 
rnelancholy occasion which was to assemble the citizens 
of the district and its neighborhood, and minute guns 
were fired during the morning. In entire consonance with 
those mournful sounds was the whole aspect of the city, 
as well its dwellings as its population. 'J'he buildings 
on each side of the entire hingth of the Pennsylvania 
Avenue, with scarcely an exception, and many houses 
on the contiguous streets, were liung witli festoons and 
streamers of black, not only about the signs and en- 
trances, but in many cases from all the upper stories. 
Almost every private dwelling had crape \ipon the 
knocker and bell-handle of its door, and many of the 
very humblest abodes hung out some spontaneous signal 
of the general sorrow. The stores and places of busi- 
ness, even such as are too frequently seen open on the 
Sabbath, were all closed. Everything like business 
seemed to have been forgotten, and all minds to be oc- 
cupied with the purpose of the day. 

The rail-road cars approaching the city were crowded 
to excess, although the trains were doubled, and a large 
portion of the passengers stood up from necessity, the 
entire way from Baltimore hither. 'J'he steamboats 
brought crowds of people from Alexandria, and the in- 
dividuals entering the city from the adjacent country on 
horseback and in vehicles of every description seemed 
to be more nurner<)us than even on the occasion of the 
late inaufjn ration. 

The great point of attraction was the President's 
mansion. Towards that all steps and all thoughts were 



GENERAL HARBISON. 211 

tending. There lay the IJody, closed in its leaden 
hearse, and covered wilh its solemn pall, sealed in that 
deep repose which nolliinir shall hreak but the Arch- 
angers trump. It lay on a hier in the «'ast room (an oc- 
cupation how dillerenl trom its wonl I) and ladies weru 
admitted all the njorning, who heaped upon the colFin 
offerings ot' the most beautiful flowers. The northern 
portico of the mansion was hung with long hamurs of 
black, extending from column to cidumn. The iron 
gates of the enclosure in front were closed, save w hen 
the carriages of the Foreign ministers, members of the 
Cabinet, the attending Physicians, the Clergy, and 
some other privileged |)ersons were admitted, j)repara- 
tory to their taking the places assigned them in the fu- 
neral procession. 

The military portion of it, constituting the funeral es- 
cort, bpiran to form the line on the Niw York Avenue, 
immediately north of the President's house, and a most 
noble and imposing appearance it presented. Without 
undertaking to give the exact order or all the details of 
the military part of the procession, it must suffice us 
for the present to state that of volunteers, besides the 
LiiTht Infantry, National Ulues, and Columbia Artillery 
of this city, and squadron of Potomac Dragoons from 
Georgetown, there were present the Eagle ArtilU-risls, 
Eutaw Infantry, Invincibles, Independent Cirays, Na- 
tional Cuards, .Maryland Cadets, and Military Association 
of Baltimore, the Annapolis Cirays, from the city of 
Annapolis, and a part of the York PitlfMnrn and Wash- 
ington Plues from York, Pennsylvania. Then there 
was a battalion of United JSUUes' Marines, and a divi- 
sion of the United States' Artillrry, commanded by 
Captain Ringgold, from fort Mc'Umry. Hut one of 
the most impressive porticms of the military part ot the 
procession consisted of the dismounted and mounU'd 
officers of the army, navy, militia and volunteers. 

Seldom has there been exhibited within a space so 
limited, so many distintiuisheil military nun: the sight 
of whose will known fiirures led back our thoughts to 
many a bloody field and many an ensanguined sea* on 
which the national honor has been well and nobly main- 



212 SKETCHES OF 

tained. The civic part of the procession was not less 
striking than the military. It embraced the municipal 
officers of the District, the clergy of all denominations, 
the judiciary, and executive officers of the government, 
including the President of the United States and the 
heads of departments, the ex-members of the late cab- 
inet now in the city, the comptrollers, auditors and com- 
missioners, treasurer, register, etc, with a numerous 
column of clerks in the several departments. Such mem- 
bers of both houses of Congress as are now in the city 
also attended, and ex-President Adams in his place. 

Next followed the officers and soldiers who had 
served under General Harrison in the late war. Another 
division of the procession consisted of public societies 
and associations, preceded by their banners and wearing 
their respective badges — among whom we noticed the 
society of Odd-Fellows, very richly attired, the Wash- 
ington Catholic Temperance Association, with their 
white banner displaying the cross which is the symbol 
of their faith, the Typographical society, several schools 
and lyceums, and to close all, the different fire compa- 
nies of the District, in their showy and picturesque 
uniforms, cloaks, hats, and accoutrements, and with ap- 
propriate ensigns. 

The music was excellent; several fine bands playing 
mournful airs, giving place, from time to time, to the 
muffled drums of the military, beating slow marches. 

But the object of chief interest, and one which, as it 
passed, hushed every other sound, and caused many a 
tear to fall, was the funeral car containing the body of 
the deceased President. It was of large dimensions, in 
form an oblong platform, on which was a raised dais, 
the whole covered with black velvet. From the cornice 
of the platform fell a black velvet curtain outside of the 
wheels to within a few inches of the ground. From the 
corners of the car a black crape festoon was formed on 
all sides, looped in the center by a funeral wreath. On 
the coffin lay the sword of Justice and the sword of 
State, surmounted by the scroll of the Constitution, 
bound together by a funeral wreath, formed of the yew 
and the cypress. The car was drawn by six white 



GENERAL HARRISON. 213 

horses, havinpr at the head of each a colored proom, 
dressed in white, with white turhan and sash, and 8up- 
porled by pall bearers in black. The enVc-t wus very 
fine. The contrast of this slowly movin^r body of 
white and black, so opposite to the strong colors of the 
military around it, struck the eye even from the trreat- 
est distance, and gave a chilling warning before hand 
that the corpse was drawing nigh. 

The entire procession occupied two full miles in 
length, and was marshaled on its way by officers on 
horseback, carrying white batons with black tassels. 
The utmost order prevailed throughout ; and, consider- 
ing the very great concourse of people collected, the 
silence preserved during the whole course of the march 
was very impressive. 

Before the body was removed from the Presidential 
mansion, religious services were conducted in presence 
of the Presidknt of the United States and ex-President 
Adams, the members of the late and present cabinets, 
the foreign ministers, and the mourning household, by 
the Rev. Mr. Hawley. The reverend gentleman de- 
clined making any address upon the occasion, but, 
pointing to a Bible and Episcopal prayer-book which 
lay upon the table, stated that they had been purchased 
by the deceased President immediately after his arrival 
in the city, and had been in daily use by him since 
then; that the late President had declared to him (Mr. 
Hawley,) personally, his full belief in the truth of the 
Christian religion, and his purpose, had not disease in- 
tervened to prevent it, to have united himself to the 
church on the succeeding Sabbath. 

On the firing of the signal grun at the appointed hour, 
the procession, having received into its ranks the funeral 
car and the family mourners who followed the remains 
of their relative to the tomb, moved along the Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue, under the tire of minute guns near the 
President's house, repeated at the city hall on the head 
of the column arriving opposite to it, and at the capitol 
on its reaching the western gate of the enclosure. Hav- 
ing reached the capitol square, passing on the south 
side of it, the procession advanced over the plains east- 



214 SKETCHES OF 

ward, till it reached the space in front of the Cong-res- 
sional hurying ground. Here the car halted, while the 
line was formed by the military as they arrived, and 
then passed slowly on, being saluted as it passed with 
colors lowered, the troops presenting- arms, and the offi- 
cers saluting it in military form. Having reached the 
main entrance, the car was again halted ; the coffin was 
taken down and placed on the shoulders of the bearers ; 
the clergy advanced, and the Rev. Mr. Hawley, recit- 
ing the solemn funeral service of the Episcopal liturgy, 
the procession advanced down the principal avenue of 
the cemetery until it reached the receiving vault, where 
a space had been kept open by sentries under arms, and 
where, a hollow square being formed, the coffin was 
lowered into the vault. A signal being given to the 
troops outside, the battalion of Light Artillery, who 
were placed on an adjoining eminence, fired a salute, 
which was immediately followed by the several military 
bodies in line, who commenced firing from the left to 
the right, and continued the salute till it had thrice gone 
up the whole line. 

The procession then resumed its march, and returned 
by the same route to the city, where the troops were 
dismissed, and the citizens retired to their several 
abodes. By five o'clock, nothing remained but empty 
streets and the emblems of mourning upon the houses, 
and the still deeper gloom, which oppressed the general 
mind with renewed power after ail was over, and the 
sense of the public bereavement alone was left to fill 
the thoug-hts." 

O 

The feelings manifested throughout the Union in re- 
lation to the death of Gti'neral Harrison, were of a char- 
acter to afford gratification to his friends and family. 
City vied with city and state w^ilh state in doing honor 
to his memory. The land, for a time, was truly clothed 
in mourning, and party differences were almost forgotten 
in the general wish to do justice to one so suddenly 
struck down from his high place. But although these 
proofs of regard were given at the East equally with 
the West, it was felt that the remains of one who had 



GENERAL HARRISON. 215 

given his life to the interests of the great internal valley 
ought to repose within its bosom; ought to rest on the 
banks of the river near which his long and useful ca- 
reer had been passed. Measures were accordingly 
taken by the friends and family of the deceased Presi- 
dent, to remove his body from the District of Columbia 
to North Bend ; and a committee was appointed to pro- 
ceed to Washington and superintend the removal. This 
committee on the 16th of June addressed to the acting 
President the following letter : 

Washington, June lOlk, 1841. 
To THE President of the Unmted States: 

Dear Sir : — The undersigned were appointed by the 
citizens and City Council of Cincinnati, and by many 
of the surviving soldiers of the late war, to apply to the 
widow and family of our distinguished fellow-citizen, 
the late President of the United States, for permission 
to remove his remains from the City of Washington to 
the State of Ohio for interment. They have made the 
appl.cation directed, and have received permission to 
perform the sacred trust. They have novy ih.e honor of 
repor.ing to you their arrival in this city, and of asking 
your approbation of the measure contemplated, and your 
co-operation in carrying it into efiect. 

We are fully aware of the high estimate you placed 
on the talents and virtues of our lamented friend and 
fellow-citizen, the late Chief Magistrate of the Union, 
whose friendship and co. fldence you possessed many 
years. We saw the tear fall from your eye, and mingle 
with the tears of the nation, when the inscrutable will 
of Heaven removed him from us. 

Knowing these things, we approach you with confi- 
dence, well assured that you will justly appreciate our 
motives for undertaking the mournful duty we have been 
deputed to perform, and that the same kind feeling 
which has marked your course through life will prompt 
you on this occasion to afford us your countenance, and 
if necessary your co-operation. 

If it meet your approbation, the committee will 
do themselves the honor of waiting upon you at the Pre- 
sident's house, at any hour you may please to designate. 



i\ 



216 SKETCHES OF 

With high respect, we are your friends and fellow- 
citizens, J BURNET, L. AVHITEMAN, 
J. C WRIGHT, A. DUDLEY, 
TH. D. CARNEAL. D. A. POWELL, 
CHA8. S. CLARKSON. A. INI'ALPIN, 
EDWARD WOODRUFF, JOHN REEVES. 
RUFUS HODGES, 

To this Mr. Tyler returned the following reply : 

Washington, June 11 Ih, 1841. 

Gentlemen: — Your letter of the 16th was duly 
handed me, and I lose no time in responding to the feel- 
ings and sentiments which you have expressed for your- 
selves and those you represent, and which you have 
correctly ascribed to me in regard to the lamented death 
of the late President. As a citizen I respected him, as 
a patriot I honored him, as a friend he was near and 
dear to me : that the people of Cincinnati should desire 
to keep watch over his remains by entombing them near 
the city, is both natural and becoming ; that the entire 
West, where so many evidences of his public usefulness 
are to be found, should unite in the same wish, was to 
have been expected ; and that the surviving soldiers of 
his many battles, led on by him to victory and to glory, 
should sigh to perform the last melancholy duties to the 
remains of their old commander, is fully in consonance 
with the promptings of a noble and generous sympathy. 
I could not, if I was authorized to do so, oppose my- 
self to their wishes. I raigrht find somethincr to urgre 
on behalf of his native State, in my knowledge of his 
continued attachment to her through the whole period 
of his useful life — in the claims of his relatives there, 
whose desire it would be that the mortal remains of 
the illustrious son should sleep under the same turf with 
those of his distinguished father, one of the signers of 
the Declaration of Independence — in the wish of the 
citizens of his native county to claim all that is now 
left of him for whom they so lately cast their almost 
unanimous suffrage — to say nothing of my own feel- 
ings, allied as J am by blood to many of his near rela^ 
tives, and with our names so closely associated and 
much connected with the late exciting political contest 
-^these considerations might present some reasonably 



GENERAL HARRISON. 217 

grounds for opposing your wishes. But the assent 
which has been given by his respected widow ^nd near- 
est relatives to the request of the people of Cincinnati, 
admits of no opposition on my part, neither in my indi- 
vidual nor official character. 

I shall feel it to be my duty, however, to submit our 
correspondence to the two houses of Congress now in 
session ; but anticipating no effort from that quarter to 
thwart the wishes expressed by yourselves in conso- 
nance with those of the widow and nearest relatives of 
the late President, I readily promise you my co-opera- 
tion towards enabling you to fulfil the sacred trust 
which brought you to this city. 

I tender to each of you, gentlemen, my cordial salu- 
tation. .lOHN TYLER. 
To J. Burnet, J. C.Wright, and others of the committee. 

Congress, which had met in extra session upon the 
31st day of May, in accordance with the proclamation 
of General Harrison, made March 17th, and to which 
Mr. Tyler communicated the above correspondence, ap- 
pointed a committee, which on the 25th of June offered 
the foUowinor resolutions : 

Resolved, That on Saturday next the remains of Wil- 
liam Henry Harrison, late President of the United 
States, be removed, under the superintendence of a 
committee of both houses of Congress, from the Con- 
gressional burial ground, and accompanied by such 
committee and the delegation from Ohio to the line of 
the District of Columbia. 

Resolved, That when the two houses adjourn, they 
adjourn to Monday next. 

The committees thus appointed consisted of five Sen- 
ators and twenty-six Representatives, who upon Satur- 
day, the 26th of June, fulfilled their melancholy duty. 
The Cincinnati committee, after passing Sunday in 
Baltimore, resumed their march westward, and early on 
the morning of the 5lh of July reached the Queen of 
the West, and bore the corpse of the favorite of Ohio to 
the house of Col. W. H. H. Taylor, the son-in-law of 
the deceased. Meantime preparations had been made 
^t Cincinnati to convey the remains to North Bend, ac- 



218 SKETCHES OF 

companied by a full representation of his friends. This 
was done upon the 7th ; after a procession in the city, 
the body of Harrison was placed upon a steam-boat and 
carried to the spot agreed on, a mound overlooking- the 
Ohio, and near the residence of the General's family. 
There, in a simple vault, he was interred in the presence 
of a great concourse of people, which had gathered from 
the country around to witness the last ceremonies. Dr, 
Joshua L. Wilson, who, of all the clergymen in Cincin- 
nati, had been longest in the west, and Dr. John T. Brooke, 
whose church General Harrison had usually attended, 
performed the last offices to the illustrious dead. And 
there the soldier and patriot still sleeps, remembered by 
all ; and though no monument as yet marks his grave, 
within a few years, beyond question, one will rise above 
his ashes, reminding all who journey upon the Belle 
Riviere, of the " Farmer of North Bend." 

Congress met, as we have said, upon the 31st of May, 
and on the 4th of June passed these resolutions in rela- 
tion to the national loss : 

The melancholy event of the death of William Hen- 
ry Harrison, late President of the United States, having 
occurred during the recess of Congress, and the two 
houses sharing in the general grief, and desiring to 
manifest their sensibilities upon the occasion of that 
public bereavement, therefore : 

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United States nf America in Congress assembled^ 
That the chairs of the President of the Senate and 
Speaker of the House of Representatives be shrouded in 
black during the residue of the session ; and that the Pre- 
sident pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives, and the members and officers of both 
houses, wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days. 
Resolved, That the President of the United States be 
requested to transmit a copy of these resolutions to Mrs. 
Harrison, and to assure her of the profound respect of 
the two houses of Congress for her person and character, 
and of their sincere condolence with the late dispensation 
of Providence. . 

It was felt, however, that mere resolutions were not 
enough, and that something was actually due the family 



GENERAL HARRISON 219 

of the departed Chief Magistrate. Mr. Adams, in the 
House of Representatives, on the 9th of June, reported 
a bill in favor of a grant of money to the widow of the 
late President. This was in accordance witli a sugges- 
tion made by Mr. Tyler, in his message at the opening 
of the session, which was in these w'ords : 

"The preparations necessary for his removal to the seat 
of Government, in view^ of a residence of four years, must 
have devolved upon the late President heavy expendi- 
tures, which, if permitted to burthen the limited resour- 
ces of his private fortune, may tend to the serious 
embarrassment of his surviving family ; and it is there- 
fore respectfully submitted to Congress, whether the 
ordinary principles of justice would not dictate the 
propriety of its legislative interposition." 

Representations from various quarters were also made 
to Congress in favor of the proposed grant; but it was 
not tilfthe 18th of .Tune that the House, by a vote of 
122 to 66, nor till the 25th of June that the Senate, by 
a vote of 28 to 16, agreed to an appropriation of $25,000 
for Mrs. Harrison. 

CHAPTER XV. 

General Tlarrison's civil and military qualifications considered — 
Parallel between him and AVashin{j:ton.— His iiiteprrity and disinter- 
estedness, illustrated by several anecdotes. — llis social and literary 
character.— His enjoyment of a green old ago in body and mind. 

Our narrative of the civil and military services of Harririon, is 
now closed. Brief and imperfect as it may appear, it is suffi- 
cient to establish his claim to a high rank as a civilian and a 
general. He had been thoroughly tried in the council and the 
field, and in every situation had proved himself equal to the cir- 
cumstances by which he was surrounded. No citizen of the 
United States, it is l)e!ipved, had ever filled so many civil and 
military offices, as the subject of this memoir ; and certainly no 
one had ever been more uniformly successful in discharging the 
trusts confided to him. 

If it be true, that to plan and carry on a successful campaign 
"requires an almost intuitive sagacity, great powers of combi- 
nation, with prudence, caution, promptness, and energy, com- 
bined with perfect self-reliance, and self-control," it may be as- 
sumed that general Harrison, who was admitted to possess these 
attributes, was an accompUshed civil ruler ; inasmuch as these 



220 SKETCHES OF 

are precisely the qualities which fit an individual for acting effi- 
ciently upon men and things as they exist around him. But 
there are other and more practical evidences of his capacity as a 
statesman. More than twenty years of his life were spent in 
various important civil offices, many of them requiring inflexi- 
ble integrity, firmness, intelligence, and wisdom. To prove that 
he possessed these virtues, in a high degree, it is only necessary 
to recur to his acts as governor of Indiana, as Indian commis- 
sioner, and as a member of the national legislature. The mes- 
sages, letters, and speeches, called forth by these ditferent situa- 
tions, are not only fine specimens of composition, but exhibit 
great accuracy of information, consistency of political principle, 
and maturity of judgment. Rising above all sectarian or party 
influence, his views were at once national and deeply imbued 
with the love of liberty ; his voice and influence were always 
exerted in sustnining the cause of freedom in this, as well as 
in other kindred lands. 

In his military capacity, general Harrison was not less distin- 
guished. As commander-in-chief of the north-western army, 
ho was entrusted with more extensive and responsible powers, 
than have been confided to any officer in our country, Wash- 
ington alone excepted. The command assigned to him, em- 
braced an immense extent of territory, with a frontier of several 
hundred miles in length, stretching along the lakes (then in pos- 
session of the enemy) with harbors, inlets, and rivers, admirably 
suited to favor their attacks upon our scattered border settle- 
ments. To defend this extended line of frontier the comman- 
der's forces were chiefly undisciplined militia — entirely wanting 
experience in the field — engaged for short terms of service, and 
held in obedience more by personal influence than the force of 
authority. But it was not to thcdcfence alone of this district, that 
general Harrison's duties were confined. He was directed by 
his government, to act offensively against the enemy, by retak- 
ing Detroit, and capturing the uppermost Canada, defended, as it 
was, by experienced British officers and soldiers, aided by a 
large body of north-western Indians. Detroit and Canada were 
separated from general Harrison's source of troops, munitions 
of war and provisions, by a trackless and swampy wilderness, 
without roads, and presenting almost insuperable obstacles to 
the transportation of array supplies : while at the same time, it 
was precisely the region of country best adapted to the peculiar 
mode of warfare practised by the bold and ferocious Indians. 
Notwithstanding these manifold difficulties, in about one year, 
from the time he was invested with the chief command of the 



GENERAL HARRISON. 221 

north-western army, general Harrison drove the enemy from his 
extended military district, retook Detroit, defeated the combined 
army of Proctor and Tecumthe, on the 'J^hames, conquered 
the uppermost Canada, and passed, as a victorious chieftain, 
down to the scat of war, on ihe Niagara frontier. 

In many points, the miUtary career of Harrison bears a strong 
analogy to that of Washington. The same extent of discre- 
tionary powers and responsibilities — the same difficulties in pro- 
curing supplies of troops and provisions ; and in part, the same 
obstacles in the nature of the country to be traversed, marked the 
history of both. They never hazarded the grand result, by a 
minor enterprise, however tempting — they sought no laurels by 
the wanton sacrifice of their soldiers, hut regulated all their 
movements with a single aim to the public good. Both exercised 
the extensive powers with which they were invested, without 
any invasion of the laws or the rights of the citizen ; and, both 
retired to the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, when the objects 
which called to the field, had been effected ; finally to both may 
be justly awarded the valor of Marcellus, the caution of Fabius, 
and the disinterestedness of Cincinnatus. 

Inflexible integrity and a self-sacrificing patriotism, may he 
considered the crowning virtues of general Harrison's character. 
These virtues marked his career in the council and the field — in 
youth and in age. When asked by what means he was en- 
abled so successfully to gain the love and obedience of the militia, 
who followed his banner during the late war, he replied : " By 
treating them with affection and kindness — by always recollect- 
ing that they were my fellow-citizens, whose feelings I was bound 
to respect, and by sharing with them, on every occasion, the hard- 
shipswhich they were obliged to undergo." Throughout the whole 
of his military campaigns, he shared with his soldiers in all their 
fatigues, dangers, and privations. We were lately assured, by 
a member of his military family in the campaign of 1813, that 
the table of the commander-in-chief was often not as well supplied 
with provisions, as those of the common soldiers ; and that he 
has frequently seen the general sitting by the fire, roasting a 
piece of beef, and then eating it without salt or bread. On one 
occasion, after marching all day, through a beoch bottom, cov- 
ered with mud and water, without their baggage, or any provis- 
ions, the general, by way of preventing his troops from being dis- 
couraged, sat down on a log, wrapped in his cloak, — the rain 
falling fast, and the gloom of a night in the wilderness, only 
broken by a few glimmering camp-fires, — and then gaily calling 
upon the officers to sing songs, he spread content and cheerful- 



222 SKETCHES OF 

ness throughout the whole detachment. By examples such as 
these, he gained the confidence and affection of the crowds of 
volunteer militia, who were attracted to his standard, not less by 
their patriotism, than the distinguished reputation of the com- 
mander-in-chief. 

After his retirement from the army, he was the chief repre- 
sentative of the military class of our citizens, in the region in 
which he lived. Those who served under him in the late war 
made frequent pilgrimages to JNorth Bend ; while the old sol- 
diers who fought under Harmar, and St. Clair, and Wayne, not 
only thronged his hospitable fire-side, but looked to general 
Harrison above all other men, to present their claims to con- 
gress, for land or pensions, on the score of past services and sac- 
rifices. 

While governor of Indiana, and superintendant of Indian af- 
fairs, during a period of twelve years, he disbursed at his dis- 
cretion, and with but few, if any checks, very large sums of 
money ; and in the course of the late war, he drew on the trea- 
sury for more than six hundred thousand dollars for military 
purposes. Yet general Harrison retired from public service 
poorer than he entered it ; and never was he a defaulter to his 
government. There are but two instances, it is believed, in 
which even a whisper of suspicion, against the purity of his of- 
ficial conduct, has been heard. One of these, made by an army 
contractor, was investigated in congress, and the charge trium- 
phantly refuted. The other occurred while governor of Indiana. 
A foreigner, residing in that territory, by the name of Mc Intosh, 
and possessing very considerable wealth, having taken some of- 
fence, charged governor Harrison with having defrauded the In- 
dians in the treaty of Fort Wayne, made in the year 1809. The 
accused very properly concluded that it was due to his own re- 
putation, not less than to the interests of the general government, 
that a charge of this kind, should be fully investigated in a court 
of justice. He therefore instituted a suit in the supreme court 
of the territory, and after a full and fair trial, before a judge and a 
jury of admitted impartiality between the parties, a verdict was 
rendered against the defendant for four thousand dollars. The 
evidence was so conclusive in favor of governor Harrison, that 
Mcintosh did not attempt to press the truth of the charge upon 
the jury, but only sought to lessen the amount of damages, by 
pleading some matters in extenuation of his conduct. When the 
property of the defendant was levied upon, to satisfy the 
judgment, it was bought-in by an agent of the governor, who 
immediately distributed one-third of it among the orphan chil- 



GENERAL HARRISON. 223 

dren of his fellow-i-itlzms that hail dinl in battle, and then re- 
stored the riMnaindcr to Mcintosh hinisfU', It has hcvu wt-ll oIh 
gerved, that " no languat^e of praise ran add to the truth and 
force of the sijnple heauty of such an example of magnanimity, 
disinterestetlness, and gniorosity." 

Some years since, it was discovered that a large tract of land, 
adjoining Cincimiati, which had been sold long previously, for a 
very small sum, under an execution against the original proprie- 
tor of the Miami country, could not be held under this sale, in 
consequence of some defective proceedings in court. The legal 
title to this tract, now immensely valuable, was vested in Mrs. 
Harrison and another individual, as the heirs-at-law. Immedi- 
ately upon being informed of the situation of this property, gen- 
eral Harrison procured the consent of the co-heir, and joined him 
in releasing to the purchasers the whole of this land, without 
claiming any other consideration, than the few hundred dollars, 
which constituted the dillerence between the actual value at the 
time when sold, and the amount paid at the sherilFs sale. 

In 1801, the governor of Indiana was, upon the suggestion 
of president Jefferson, made ex-^ijficio governor of " Upper 
Louisiana." Under the impression that it was sound jwlicy to 
convince the inhabitants of the newly acquired territory, that 
they had lost nothing by the change, governor Harrison declined 
receiving the fees he was entitled to by law, although those for 
Indian licenses alone would have brought him several thousand 
dollars. At the same time the proprietor of St. Louis, offered 
him for a mere nominal sum, an undivided moiety of three- 
fourths of the town of SL Louis, and the adjoining lands, if he 
would assist in building up that place. Such, however, was his 
nice sense of hi)nor, that he declined the offer, fearing it might 
be said, that he had used his otHcial station to promote his pri- 
vate interest. The property thus voluntarily refused, and which 
might have been accepted without any violation of principle, is 
probably worth at this time a million of dollars. 

While acting as commander-in-chief of the north-western 
army, general Harrison's expenses, owing to the extent of his 
command, and the amount of company he was obliged to enter- 
tain at heail-quarters, so far exceeded his pay, that he was com- 
pelled before the close of the war, to sell a valuable tract of land 
to meet the current demantls upon his purse. 

Soon after his resignation in the army, while the claims of a 
large family were pressing upon him, general Harrison had 
made up his mind to ask an appointment for one of his sons at 
West Point. Before the application was made, however, a poor 



224 SKETCHES OF GENERAL HARRISON. 

boy, the child of a neighbor, who had not the means of obtaining 
an education, made a personal appeal to the general, to procure 
him a place in this institution. He immediately waived the 
claims of his own son, and obtained a warrant for this poor lad, 
who was educated at the academy, and is now a distinguished 
citizen of Indiana, and takes great pleasure in bearing testimony 
to the noble disinterestedness of his patron. 

Similar instances of integrity and generosity might be multi- 
plied, had we further space to narrate the incidents in the life of 
the veteran, whose patriotic policy founded, and whose skillful 
valor defended the vast north-west. 

The literary talent and attainment of general Harrison, were 
uncommonly good. He was a sound scholar, not only familiar 
with the passing literature of the day, but possessing a familiar 
acquaintance with ancient history, especially with the classic 
annals of Greece and Koine. His own writings and conversa- 
tion were forcibly illustrated by allusions to these works, and 
frequently bore evidence of a mind richly imbued with the 
philosophy of history. The productions of his pen, which were 
thrown off without an effort, were at once smooth, strong and 
perspicuous, and written with remarkal)le simplicity and beauty 
of style. As a speaker, be was animated, fluent, and forcible, 
correct in his language, and peculiarly ready in bringing the re- 
sources of a cultivated understanding to bear upon any given 
subject. 

Both in body and in mind, general Harrison enjoyed a "green 
old age." His step was firtn, his spirits buoyant, his conversa- 
tion sprightly, instructive, and rich in anecdote. His counten- 
ance was expressive of kindness and genuine philanthropy ; and 
his dark piercing eye, had lost little, if any of the fire and viva- 
city of his more youthful days. The strength of his memory 
and the accuracy of his judgment, remained unimpaired. Among 
the last productions of his pen were many which were strongly 
characterized by the force, raciness, and nice discrimination 
which belonged to the meridian of his life. 

In temperament, warm and impulsive — in manners, plain and 
unassuming — in his habits, generous and hospitable, general 
Harrison combined in an eminent degree, the manly frankness 
of a soldier, with the sturdy independence of a farmer. 



THE END 



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